


Natsu: The Friendly Demon

by AKelaNakamura



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: AU, Blood and Gore, But it's okay, Casual dimensional travel, Demon AU, Dorks abound, Explicit Language, F/M, Jose and Ivan are assholes, Lucy summons Natsu into her home on accident, Mythic au, Pocket Dimensions - Freeform, Slow Burn, Turns out her best friend Levy isn't human and can help her, graphic description of violence, side character death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-09-13 02:59:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 112,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9103564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKelaNakamura/pseuds/AKelaNakamura
Summary: What started as a friendly Demon leaving her helpful messages on her mirror explodes in her face-literally-when she invokes his name. Now she's faced with startling revelations at every turn, unruly Mythics, and magick. Just as she's figuring out her new life, a war ignites with one of Fairy Tail's oldest enemies, and things go from weird to dangerous in a heartbeat. Demon!AU.





	1. Notes Written in Blood?!

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Tumblr post "A demon leaves messages on the bathroom mirror, but they're helpful messages like 'Don't forget you have Yoga at 6.'"  
> So I saw the post on Tumblr and couldn't resist. A Tumbler user, Kisuua, sketched it out and I wasn't the only one who wrote a little drabble for it. Rivendell101 did as well. They're different and his/hers is great so if you have a Tumblr, look it up.  
> This was supposed to be a one-shot and exploded out from there. The rest of the chapters shall be uploaded ASAP. For the full story please go to my FF by the same name.  
> Enjoy!

Lucy sighed as the hot water blasted her. Showers were always so relaxing. What more could a girl ask for than a long hot shower, some music, and orchid scented body wash?

Except, maybe, for someone to _share_ the shower with.

The steam was building in the bathroom, and her music nearly drowned out the sound of the spray hitting the tub. She'd already shaved and washed; now she was simply wallowing in the hot water. She loved that the water heater was super-efficient, she'd yet to run out of hot water during a shower. Just one more thing she loved about her house.

She let the heat blast out the soreness of her muscles. She loved studying martial arts, it was a great way to focus and train her body. It made her feel strong and capable. _She_ directed her life now, not her father. She'd met a lot of cool people too. Levy McGarden, for one. Levy was tiny, almost pixie-like in build, yet she could flip a two-hundred-pound man over her shoulder. Her boyfriend, Gajeel, was often subject to her judo-flips when he made a smart comment about her height—he towered above her by feet.

Lucy wasn't ashamed of the fact that the first time she'd seen Gajeel, she'd very nearly whimpered. The man was brutal looking, tall, muscular but lanky, with piercings peppering his face, his arms. If you got past that, though, you found a dork of man, who had an affection for cats and small, blue haired woman.

He also liked to sing.

Sighing, she turned the water off; she didn't know why she was lingering on thoughts of Gajeel and Levy. She'd just seen them at her martial arts lesson. She couldn't linger any longer in the water, though, no matter where her thoughts were drifting off to. Throwing back the shower curtain, she glanced at the mirror and had to swallow a scream.

"Dammit!" She yelled. Written in a sloppy scrawl in bright, bloody red, was a message:

_Remember: You have yoga at 6!_

She turned off her music, her towel wrapped around her, and she could swear she could hear a man's laughter echoing. After two years of living in this house, one would think she would be used to the random messages her resident demon left her.

Not long after she'd moved in, Lucy had discovered she wasn't exactly _alone._ Strange messages appeared on the fridge, written out of the alphabet magnets the previous tenant had left behind. What freaked her out the most, though, was the red writing on her bathroom mirror.

Talk about a horror movie.

"Stupid _ghost_." She muttered loudly. The mirror vibrated, and in moments another message appeared on its shiny surface.

_I'm not a ghost! I'm a demon. :)_

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes. He was quite sensitive about that. He _insisted_ on being called a demon. Scowling passed the mirror, entered her bedroom and got dressed in her yoga attire. Sighing, she paused at the bathroom on her way out. "Thanks, I forgot about it until you told me." No more writing appeared on the mirror, and she could hear no echoes of a voice. She went in and left her little present. She then grabbed her purse, put on her shoes and went to meet Levy at the yoga place.

Sitting on her couch, a demon grinned at her retreating figure. His 'roommate' of sorts was entertaining. The first few weeks of him leaving messages on her mirror—and rearranging the letter magnets on the fridge—had scared the absolute crap out of her. She'd nearly _fainted_ when he'd first written on the mirror. It had been pretty funny.

Hey, he hadn't had much in the way of entertainment in _years._ If scaring the crap out of some girl distracted him from his fate, he'd take it.

She'd tried exorcising him, he remembered now with a wide grin, her and Levy. It hadn't worked—obviously—he rolled his eyes at nothing. As if some silly exorcising spell could make him go away. If only it was _that_ simple.

He went into the bathroom—floating through walls would never fail to be cool to him—to clean off his message. She had long since made it his job to clean his 'mess' as she called it. He stared dumbfounded at the mirror.

 _Use a freakin' dry erase marker you moron, you don't have to kill a chicken every time I have an appointment_!

He cleaned off his message—she'd left one, but hadn't erased his old one, which was totally unfair—and tested out the dry erase marker. It worked very well and it was easy to clean. Did she seriously think he used blood? She knew there was a leftover can of red paint in her garage, right? It washed off better than he'd planned—he'd forgotten that paint was not necessarily supposed to go on mirrors. He'd read the can, though—it was like, meant not to stick to glass or somethin'. It had worked well, though he was running low and he couldn't exactly go to the store and get more.

He grinned; his Luce was smart, though he wondered why she waited so long to do something like this.

_I don't kill chickens. And if I'm the moron, why did it take you so long to think of a dry erase marker?_

He chuckled to himself; she'd be ticked when she saw that.

His work here was done.

For now.


	2. Invoke Thy Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be making up my own Demon Lore for this. ((Suggestions are appreciated)). I'll explain more in the following chapters.

Lucy stared dumbfounded at the mirror. That little bastard! Though, she hated to admit he was right, why _hadn't_ she thought of using dry erase markers? He'd been writing her messages since she'd moved in; it wasn't like this was _new._ Shaking her head, she began the tedious process of taking her makeup off. She didn't know why she bothered—it was just yoga after all, but it was such an ingrained habit she barely noticed the time it took to put it on. After she'd washed her face, she wiped the mirror clean. It was much easier now, and besides, she wanted to leave a message.

Levy, having been a close friend for years, knew the other occupant of Lucy's house well. At first, they'd tried to exorcise him; Levy feared that he may be dangerous. After that didn't work, they'd slowly discovered that the demon meant no harm—if his childish messages he left on the mirror and fridge were any indication. Over the years, the messages on the fridge were usually just for groceries—you're out of milk, you're chicken is spoiled, etcetera.

The messages on the mirror, however, became the basis of reminding her of appointments, social calls, deadlines for her novel, that her publicist called, and sometimes, rarely, personal things. He'd tell her when she looked better in something when trying to decide what to wear for a date. He'd tell her what earrings would go with what outfit and what she should pair the cute shoes in her closet with. Really, for a demon, he had an excellent fashion sense.

It was beyond strange, but it was her life.

She'd never once, though, thought to ask personal things. He was simply the demon in the house. He'd never given her a name, and for reasons she couldn't explain, she hadn't asked for one. Accepting that there was a demon living in your home and calling it by a name were two very different things. Besides, Levy had told her that demon names held power, and while the demon was passive now, it might not last if she invoked his name.

Though now that she thought about it, the first time Levy had come to her house, she'd gone to the kitchen and had come back to find Levy in near tears. She'd babbled some excuse, and had acted nervous and fidgety the rest of the visit. Now, Lucy wondered if her friend had encountered Demons before.

Demons were more common than Lucy had known. Her research and surprisingly, Gajeel's casual knowledge, had given her more demon lore facts than she knew what to do with. Demons were generally invisible to humans unless they were A.) Super powerful or B.) The human had the ability to see into the demon/ghost realm. Or, C.) The Demon was fully manifested in the Human Realm. Once, she'd mentioned that she could hear the demon laughing on occasion, and Gajeel had studied her for several minutes. She'd been uncomfortable—and Levy had been trying to get him to say something—when he finally spoke.

"Guess it shouldn't be surprisin'." He'd rumbled. "I've always thought ya mig't have the sight."

She'd gotten nothing more out of him. Apparently, he'd said all he'd intended to. Gajeel had also never come over to her house. Or, at least, never stepped foot inside the doorway. Strangely, her apartment got very warm when he came on by.

But she was done with all that. Surely, this demon wouldn't hurt her if she simply said his name. She was tired of not knowing whom she was living with. She knew the dangers but had made up her mind. _Levy, please don't get mad at me._ She pleaded silently. Her friend would undoubtedly be angry with her later.

_Hey, I was wondering. Could you tell me your name? I'd like to know who I'm living with. Two years late, I know…_

She let out a breath, hoping all those things she'd read about demons suddenly manifesting when their names were read and wreaking havoc weren't true. Feeling antsy, she left the bathroom, leaving the light on as had become a habit for her to do. She had no doubt that he didn't need the light in order to see but it seemed…rude, not to do it.

All the tension she'd gotten rid of during her hour-long Yoga session suddenly dropped back onto her neck and shoulders. Stress built in her stomach and she resorted to stretching out in her living room to try to relive it. Surely, asking a name shouldn't be so stress-inducing. She was, she acknowledged, asking the name of a demon, though. She smiled to herself. Geez, if her father could see her now. He'd be so mad! Living in a dinky house—it was a good, modest home, but her father didn't like modest—and it was inhabited by a demon of all things! He'd never believe it. He'd take her to a psychiatrist—the best one in Fiore no doubt—and tell him that his daughter's head was addled.

She let out a breath and shook the thoughts away. Her father's opinion no longer mattered. She was no longer under his thumb, and she doubted he even knew where she was living. She'd made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him or his plans for her.

The room was growing hotter, she noticed, something she'd figured out meant the demon was trying to get her attention. It was strange; she thought demons were supposed to make things cold. The one time she'd mumbled something about it aloud, though, the message on the mirror had been angry—it had read _'I am not Ice-Prick! Heat's where it's at_.'

She had no idea who 'ice prick' was, and she'd decided not to ask. Blowing out a breath, she figured she couldn't stall in the Down Dog position anymore, so she straightened and began the walk to the bathroom. Her stomach was a bundle of nerves, and she paused in the doorway. _Coward,_ whispered in her ear, which caused her spine to stiffen and she marched into the bathroom.

She let out a long breath as she looked at the mirror.

_I was beginning to think you'd never ask. Rude, much? My name's Natsu._

_Natsu Dragneel._

"Natsu," She breathed out in shock. "Dragneel?"


	3. The Demon's Manifestation!

Heat rippled outwards as if activated by her words.

She'd invoked a demon's name. Levy was going to _kill_ her. Gajeel was going to shake her and ask her if she'd lost her mind.

She figured he might be right.

Suddenly, the heat in the room went from uncomfortable to unbearable. It became an oppressive layer, pushing the air from her lungs. Lucy was forced to her knees, sweat popping from her pores. The room glowed as if heated by a furnace. Flames spiraled around her, seemingly sustained by nothing but air, as nothing seemed to _actually_ be on fire. It _felt_ as if she were on fire that the flesh was melting from her bones but when she fixed her blurry vision on her hands, they seemed fine.

Laughter echoed through the heat, through the roaring blood in her ears. The heat was a solid weight, and it seemed like the floor was shaking.

Then, the room was cool.

Lucy gasped for breath, her throat dry as a desert, her body shaking from the rapid changes in temperature. She fell limply to the floor, her dry eyes burning as she stared at the vanity. Her mind was numb, and she felt as if she was seconds from unloading the contents of her stomach. She wasn't sure she could make it to the toilet, though it was a mere three feet away.

What the _hell_ had just happened?

Her nerves felt fried, and she wondered if the intense heat had burned every hair off her body, but she couldn't move to check.

"Sorry." A voice said and she could do no more than close in her eyes in shock. Who was talking? Was it the Demon? How much time had passed? The heat had felt like it'd stuck around for _hours_ but she figured it'd only been minutes. "Here, drink." A strong arm lifted her from the limp pile she'd been reduced to, tilted her head back and a cool glass touched her dry, broken lips. Or, at least, they felt dry and broken. Water. She chugged it down, letting it soothe her parched throat, settle her nauseous stomach. "Easy!" The voice warned. She paid little heed. Right now, there was nothing more important than that glass of water. She drained it in seconds.

An electric charge surged through her, cooling her body and giving her back the energy the heat had sucked out of her. She opened her eyes and stared at the man who held the now empty glass of water. It couldn't have _just_ been water, though, not with the shot of power that had gone through her. Shock, delayed now, ripped through her.

She'd just summoned a goddamn demon. What had she'd been _thinking?_ She'd seen _The Exorcist_ and other demon-centric movies. She _knew_ what happened to the stupid blond that summoned things from the other side.

The demon she'd summoned eyed her warily. Shouldn't _she_ be the one to be wary? From the sheer, raw _power_ that had just burst through her house, she had every right to be afraid.

"Okay, Lucy, just breathe, okay?" He said and she knew it was the voice she'd heard laughing on occasion. "This is surprising, I know." He sounded like he was concerned, but the grin on his face contradicted that. Had he _meant_ to hurt her?

"You….You're the demon that's been living here?" She spoke, trying to find some sense of calmness or clarity. She needed to figure this out. If she freaked out or tried to attack him—and she wasn't sure her legs would hold her, even with the power boost—it could set him off.

"Yeah," He rubbed the back of his neck, and she was finally able to take in the man before her. She couldn't tell his height because he was kneeling next to her, but his build was lean and strong. He wore black pants and a vest that was opened to reveal his sculpted chest and abdomen. His neck was covered by a long, white scaly scarf. His face seemed normal—if you discounted the long, pointed canines, and the slightest point to his pupils—but his hair…it was nothing normal.

It was salmon pink.

She studied his roots, wondering if it was a dye job—though how he dyed it was beyond her, it just seemed like a more plausible explanation than having pink hair _naturally._ Her gaze drifted back down to his eyes, which were a strange color, green with gold and brown creating a mosaic in his eyes. He too seemed to be studying her, but more gauging her reaction than her looks. His grin gentled, became friendly and proud.

"Hello, Lucy." He said pointedly.

It took her a moment, but she realized he wanted her to say his name again. She'd purposefully avoided it; for fear that something else crazy might happen. Now, though, it seemed rude…and what else could happen that hadn't already? He was here. He was solid and real.

"Hello…Natsu." She breathed. She braced for another wave of heat, another shocking, preternatural episode, but nothing happened. The air didn't even so much as get warmer.

"There, you see? No harm done!" He said his grin going wide again, nearly cracking his face in half. "I'm sorry about before." His grin faded as fast it had come, and something akin to self-disgust crossed his features. "Had I known it would be so…explosive, I wouldn't have told you my name, or at least have told you to say it in the threshold of the front door, so you could get out of the way."

"It's okay." She told him. She felt strangely comfortable with him there, as if even though she'd never seen him before, she knew him. Doubts faded. If he'd wanted to hurt her, he could've done it by now, when she was weak and helpless from the heat. "I shouldn't have said it without checking stuff out first. What…what did you do to the water you gave me?"

"Oh, that." His grin was sheepish—did the boy have a grin for every emotion? "I, uh, put a little of my power into the water, just enough to calm your system. Your body was frying."

That explained a lot. She could still feel it, something like electricity running through her blood. She wondered if there were any other side effects of drinking a demon's power, besides stopping her body from literally cooking alive.

She didn't want to think about it now.

"I tried to keep the heat away from you," He said. "It worked a little bit."

"Is anything in my house melted?" She shouted, shooting to her feet and marching out of the bathroom before he could answer. She was mildly surprised that her legs held her but realized she felt fine now.

"No!" He said sounding a little apprehensive about her sudden shout. "At least, I don't think so. Its preternatural fire and heat. It was more in the Demon Realm than the Human. You've got the sight, raw yet, but it was enough that you were affected. If you didn't have the sight, you'd never be able to feel the heat when I'm around, or hear me sometimes."

"Gajeel said the same…" She muttered. Just what other situations could this ability get her into. She had a million questions, and she turned to ask him.

"About Gajeel…" He said before she could think of what question to ask first. He looked slightly nervous. "He's coming."

"What?" The questions in her head scattered like ants. He couldn't come now! She didn't want to explain why she'd asked his name or said it! Gajeel had wholeheartedly agreed with Levy, telling her not to play games with demons. He'd be so ticked!

"Yeah…" He eyed the front door. "Please don't kill me if something gets broken. Blame him."

"Broken, why would anything get broken?" She asked confusion and fear rising. Wait—Gajeel had never even set foot inside the house. How did Natsu know who he was?

Better yet, how did Gajeel know she'd summoned him?

"SALAMANDER!" A voice she recognized as Gajeel's shouted. Oh wow, she'd never heard Gajeel sound like that, like a growling animal. She watched, in shock, as her front door flew off at the hinges, and all six foot plus of Gajeel stepped into her house for the first time ever.

"What do you want, Metal Brows?" Natsu looked calm, casual and relaxed…but something in his eyes, Lucy could see that his eyes were hard. What was going on here?

Gajeel's gaze rested on her for a moment, and she could tell that she had a lot of explaining to do. Then, his red eyes shifted back to Natsu. He sniffed the air.

"Dammit, Salamander, ya coulda killed her!" He ground out his canines more pronounced than she'd ever seen them. In fact, everything about him seemed downright feral right now. His hair, never tamed, seemed to stand on end like a wolf's ruff, and she realized that though his eyes had always been reddish, they were more pronounced than ever before.

Wait a minute. Her gaze went wide, and her stomach dropped.

"You?" She pointed at Gajeel. She—she had to be _wrong._

"Ya, ya, I'm a demon." He rolled his eyes. "Took ya long enough. Wait your turn. Me and Salamander here have sumthin' to _discuss._ "

Now Natsu rolled his eyes. "Come on man, she's not stupid. She knows we're not _discussing_ anything."

"She may not be," Gajeel's gaze locked on Natsu and Lucy knew she'd been cut out of the conversation. "But I think you are."

"You know I didn't ask for this." Natsu gestured around him and Lucy gasped in shock.

Around Natsu's wrists were shackles, and a few links of a chain were connected to them, but the chain was obviously broken now. The shackles, at first, were nothing more than hazy impressions, but they solidified, and the image expanded beyond the shackles. Her walls were replaced with a prison wall, the windows were barred, the floor was cold, emotionless stone. Hanging from the wall were long, strong chains, most of which were now melted. Her house faded, the kitchen was gone, and the bathroom became a dirty, cracked toilet and a small, dusty mirror, right in the middle of where her mirror rested in her bathroom.

And right in the only spot, Natsu had ever written on.

Something seemed to bubble beneath the surface of her skin, and more of the house-turned-prison became clear to her.

The house no longer had rooms; it was just one large prison cell. Her kitchen was a hot pan and a few broken cupboards, her bedroom a cot that tilted sideways and musty blanket. Natsu's clothing had changed as well. His scarf was still there, bright white against its sooty owner. Natsu was filthy and thin, his hair was limp, and his eyes seemed duller now. His clothes hung on him, his pants were ragged hanging at the knee, and his shirt had lost both sleeves and was ripped around the collar and hem. He looked like he'd been in a battle, though whether he'd won or lost Lucy couldn't tell. She could see no wounds, but she could see the bottom of a scar that shone brightly against his abdomen.

"Natsu." Her voice shook, her face felt drawn back and tight. He looked at her, confused.

"What's the matter, Lucy?" He sounded nervous like he was scared that she was suddenly afraid of him.

"Idiot," Gajeel growled. "She's seen past your little illusion. Ya dumbass, she's got the Sight."

"Natsu…what…what _happened_ to you?" Lucy asked and nearly jumped out of her skin when Levy called her name.

"Lu-Chan, come on. I'll explain everything, okay?" Levy came into the room, looking grim, and gently led her outside.

There were too many questions for Lucy to even think about.


	4. An Explanation of Demonic Porportions

 The energy that Natsu had given her seemed to have faded, for she felt stiff and shaky. Levy, though inches shorter than Lucy, was able to guide her into Gajeel's waiting car. She barely noticed the sleek lines, the soft leather interior, and the solid black of the paint. She slid into the passenger's side and looked up. Night had fallen, and the T-top was open, the glass gone. Levy got behind the wheel and gently told Lucy to buckle up.

An explosion of heat blasted out her open front door, and she could hear the grinding of metal. She simply kept looking at the moon, and the twinkle of the stars. Levy floored it—she drove like a maniac, Lucy knew—but instead of scolding Levy, as usual, she welcomed the speed and power, the _roar_ of the engine and the shifting of the gears. Levy may have been pressed next to the steering wheel to reach the petals, but she knew how to make the car move. Her life had taken a serious, unexpected turn and she wasn't sure how to handle it.

How did one handle a demon that had evidently been locked away? He'd been locked away for a reason, and now Lucy had to wonder what exactly that reason was. Was he dangerous? Was Gajeel even now trying to kill him? Her gut twisted at the thought. Natsu wasn't bad. He'd tried to protect her, from the heat and what he'd been going through. She'd lived there for two years, and had no idea her resident Demon was suffering so. How many times had she cooked in her kitchen, claiming to be starving? How many times had she wished for a better bed or a better shower? All the while, Natsu had virtually nothing and very limited access to her world.

No wonder he communicated! He'd have to be bored out of his mind. He was starving, filthy, and a prisoner, yet he reminded her when she needed freaking milk and when her yoga class was.

She was so confused.

"Lucy," Levy finally spoke. They'd left town and were now speeding on a back road, the wind slapping their hair back. "Listen, there's a lot to explain, okay? I'm going to talk, just hold your questions. I'll try to answer them all." Lucy merely nodded. She couldn't line up the questions anyway. "Okay, so obviously, Gajeel's a demon. A Metal Dragon Demon, to be specific. You've figured that out. Lu-Chan…this is going to be hard to take in, but I'm not human either. And neither are you."

Of all the things, she'd expected Levy to say, that was not one of them. Questions piled on her tongue, but she held them back. Obviously, Levy was trying to explain in the best way she knew how.

"I'm half Fae," Levy said eyes focused on the road. "Half Fae and half Siren. People don't realize it, but Fae are much more than just pranksters, they value language, music and have access to magick. People think Sirens only use their voices to lure humans to their deaths, but honestly, those are the Sirens that have been exiled. They're…well, they're the terrorists of the Siren world. Most Sirens use their voices to enchant human dreams, to give them ideas or to comfort the dying. They're sort of like Muses, but not quite. Anyway, that's me. I'll get to you, I promise Lu-Chan."

Lucy took it in; using the break Levy had given her. It explained Levy's aptitude with knowledge, and how she'd never even blinked when Lucy had finally told her that she wasn't alone in her home. It also explained Levy's singing voice.

Whenever Lucy was getting frustrated with her latest novel or short story, she'd invite Levy over. They'd laugh and talk, then Levy would smile and mention that she knew Lucy was having problems, and she'd ask how she could help. Usually, it ended up with Lucy at her writing desk, Levy standing behind her, gently singing in languages Lucy couldn't even describe.

It never failed, though, that Lucy's writer's block would fade and a storm of new ideas would come flooding out. Lucy took a deep breath and pushed through the shock.

"Okay. Fae and Siren. Gotcha." Lucy said, speaking for the first time since she'd left the house. Her voice was steadier than she'd thought it'd be.

Levy smiled brightly at her, relief evident in her eyes. "Okay. So I'll explain how I met Gajeel at a later time, but he wasn't imprisoned like Natsu was. The Human Realm and the Demon Realm overlap, they both occupy the same earth, the same time, but as you've seen with your house, the landscape and buildings can vary greatly. Of course, calling it the Demon Realm is kind of limiting because other types of 'mythical' creatures can occupy that plain as well, but Demons, Ghosts, Elves and a few others are restricted to the Demon Realm. They can't pass through the Veil like Fae and the rest can.

"There are ways for those who are restricted to cross over and occupy both Realms, for demons, you have to invoke their names." Levy gave her a pointed look, and Lucy squirmed in discomfort. "Though invoking their names doesn't always give them full manifestation. Most of the time it gives them a hole into our world, enough to move things around and to create shadows. Other times, you give them an inch and they take a mile. That's what happened with Natsu. As far as I can figure, he's been storing up energy for the last two years, just waiting for you to invoke his name. He used it to break free of the chains that bound him, and fully manifest, which is no easy task."

"Wow." Lucy breathed. This was pretty heavy stuff…but she had a flesh and blood demon in her house, who was probably fighting another demon, and her house was actually a prison…what a night. "Levy, why was Natsu imprisoned? And why is Gajeel so mad at him?" Levy had asked to hold her questions…but now that some things had been explained, organizing her thoughts had become much easier. She did better with fact than supposition.

Levy sighed but didn't reprimand her. "Gajeel's mad because Natsu messed up, big time. Natsu was imprisoned for the same reason. You see, he was fighting a Demon/Sorcerer hybrid, the likes of which has never been seen or heard of before. His name was Zeref, and he wanted to start a new Era, change the Demon world forever, and not in a good way. Zeref saw humans as nothing more than Demon food. He saw half-breeds, like myself, as abominations. Basically, he's the Demon Realm's Hitler. Half-Demons, Half-anything's and weaker beings like goblins were imprisoned, starved, beaten and killed.

"Obviously, he needed to be stopped. Natsu _was_ Zeref's number one general, _before_ Zeref went insane, but he saw the error of Zeref's thinking. Zeref wasn't always power hungry, in fact, he was this little crybaby Demon, and Natsu protected him because Zeref had this misfortune of possessing death magick. He could control it, but when he couldn't everyone around him was in danger. Natsu was the only one who wouldn't be affected, so he stayed with Zeref. Zeref, though, was a ticking time bomb. He knew one day his magick would consume him, change him. So one night, while Natsu was sleeping, Zeref gave Natsu the power to stop him, calling him E.N.D. Anyway, it wasn't long after that that Zeref began changing, began to kill for the pleasure of it. Natsu knew, but he couldn't bring himself to kill his friend. Gajeel, one of Natsu's friends, told him what he had to do. Everyone did. We all knew it would hurt Natsu, but what choice was there?

"Natsu wouldn't listen. He tried to reason with Zeref, tried to get his friend back. His friend was gone. They got into a battle, and Natsu had no choice but to activate his E.N.D powers—powers that I don't even know the extent of. I don't think Natsu knows either. The battle lasted for an unknown amount of time, between the firepower and death magick, no one could get close enough to see who was winning. The area they were fighting in was away from people, away from buildings, but still, Demons and others fled the surrounding areas. No one wanted to find out how far a Fire Dragon's Roar could reach, or a wave of Death.

"Finally, after an untold amount of time, the battle was over. Both were exhausted, standing on death's door, Zeref fell, his evil spirit gone, his body in ruins. Natsu comforted his friend, for his friend was there in death, and it's said that Zeref thanked him for freeing his soul. Zeref passed, but his evil spirit had enough juice to get revenge. It gathered itself, a pool of blackness, and struck while Natsu was weak, in body and heart, locking him in a prison no Demon could escape, no Demon could enter.

"Four hundred years have passed since, and Natsu's powers have been slowly waning, slowly being sucked into the darkness that was what was left of Zeref's evil. Gajeel is mad because had Natsu struck sooner, the battle would not have dragged out for so long, and he wouldn't have gotten himself imprisoned. Gajeel's mad at Natsu for abandoning his friends, for abandoning his duty to protect the Demon Realm. But mostly, Gajeel's angry with himself, for not being able to help Natsu when he needed it. Most of us are—angry with ourselves that is. It's been a long time, and Gajeel's not very good with feelings, the touchy-feely side of them. He'd rather pound Natsu to dust than admit he was afraid of losing him."

"But he can't!" Lucy's heart was sick for Natsu, and she bled a little inside for what he'd been, though. "Natsu's so ill, so sickly. There's no way he can fight Gajeel!"

Levy whipped around another turn, pushing the car for more speed. "I know. Gajeel won't do much, a few hits, a few sharp words. Then he'll tell Natsu he's pathetic and not fun to fight. They'll duke it out for real when Natsu's in better shape. Gray will probably get into it as well," Levy made a face. "In fact, I can't think of a person in Fairy Tail that _doesn't_ want to give Natsu a good smack. Myself included. Idiot." She said it with affection, and so much relief.

"Levy, why didn't you just invoke his name?" Lucy asked. "Or tell me about this sooner!"

"It's complicated," Levy said slowly, as if she was trying to figure out how to explain it. "Other Demons can't invoke another's name that way, but you know I'm not a Demon. It's strange, but since I know Natsu, I can't invoke his name. No, let me explain this better. When invoking a Demon's name, one must not be a Demon for one, and two, they must not have met the fully manifested form of the Demon before. There are other rules, and strong magicks that enforce those rules, but that's the biggie. Had I told you who he was, his name would have lost power for you. The third rule is the person who wants to manifest the Demon has to ask the Demon for his name, it can't be given by a third party."

"I see." Lucy nodded. Man, this was complicated. The laws of the….Human Realm…were complicated enough at times, but now she had to add this new Realm, this new place. Nothing would be the same again. She noticed they were now speeding back towards town. "Levy…you said I wasn't human either…"

"No Lucy, you're not. But you're not like me. You're something I've never seen before too." Levy held up a hand, stopping the questions that wanted to pour from Lucy's mouth. "I'll explain later, right now, we've gotta go back. Natsu's going to need you."

She remembered his thin arms, his weak legs, the hollowness of his eyes and the filth that covered him. She looked at Levy, suddenly feeling an urgency.

"Step on the gas." She told Levy and was rewarded when the car gave a panther-like growl, revved up, and zipped along at ninety miles an hour. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I'm making up my own mythology for this, but I'm taking elements from other myths. Take Levy for example, I'm not using the Tinker Bell version of Fairies; I'm using the Irish version. In Irish lore, Fairies are tricky beings that live in magickal 'rafts' under hills. It's said that if you walk on a Fairy Hill the Fairies will capture you, and if you eat their food, you'll have to stay for a hundred years. In Irish lore, Fae don't have tails or wings, but access to magick. So if you guys want to drop me bits of mythology or then feel free.


	5. Soup, Stars, and Sleep at Last

The car screamed around the corner, tail end sliding, and Lucy laughed with the joy of it, feeling her stomach pitch, the wind slam, and hearing the car roar. Levy grinned, completely in control and happy to see her friend in a much lighter mood. The house came into view, and at first, all Lucy could see was Natsu's prison, feel the foreboding darkness that seemed to leach the very darkness out of the night. Then, it was simply a house, removed from town, quaint and lovely.

Levy cut the car's engine, and the silence slammed shut like a curtain. Lucy couldn't even hear Levy breath. Nothing came from the house. Not a sound. Not a peep. The girls exchanged looks, unbuckled and bolted to the house. The door was fixed—the hinges were shiny and new, and the door swung open with an ease Lucy hadn't thought possible. The inside of the house was back as well, solid and familiar. Gajeel looked irritated, and Lucy felt the blood leave her face when she saw Natsu's limp form on the couch.

He face was bruised, and an eye was black, Gajeel's work no doubt. Gajeel had a small cut on his forehead but looked fine otherwise.

Gajeel shifted uneasily, and one look at Levy's face had Lucy finding out why. Levy was glaring at her boyfriend with an intensity that could melt metal.

"He wouldn't stop," He said gruffly. "bastard wanted to take me. Couldn't. Too weak, and he knows it. Stubborn ass. I had to knock 'em out, couldn't take him seriously when he can barely freakin' stand. I'll kick his ass later."

Levy sighed, her theory proven correct. Natsu was just too weak to duke it out with anybody at the moment. Lucy walked over to the demon, the boy she'd lived with for two years. He looked…calmer in sleep, certainly gentler, despite the bruises. He still desperately needed a shower, but judging from his body mass, he needed food more.

"Levy set up my slow cooker, and gather the ingredients for my special soup," Lucy said knowing Natsu would need to get meat on his bones.

"Ya mean my special soup," Gajeel grunted in annoyance. "Ya stole the recipe from me. I'll make it, blondie; you take care of the idiot."

Rolling her eyes—even though it was true—Lucy went into the bathroom and jolted at the writing that still marked the mirror. She looked at her watch. It…it was only ten? So much had happened in so little time. Shaking it off, she dug in the cabinet under the sink, she knew she had…Ah yes! Baby wipes. She kept them around because they were good at getting makeup off. It wouldn't be a shower, but it would help to get a layer off. Returning to the living room, she kneeled beside Natsu and gently began to rub the dirt off his face. Right now, his skin was dark, but she was betting he'd lighten up a bit once the dirt was taken off.

His eyes looked painful, and she wished she could help in some way. Gently, she rubbed the wipe around his eyes and felt something rise in her. Something warm, and from the deepest reaches of her soul. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her body tingled, and then filled with heat. She felt…powerful, and beyond human. A gentle golden light glowed at the tips of her fingers, and Natsu's bruises faded.

Under the dirt and grime, his skin was pale from lack of sun, of food, of friendship and laughter, but as the bruises faded from under his eyes, his skin glowed with health. It lasted only a second, and once it was over his skin was still pale, but not quite as much as before. Lucy felt the power fade, and she stared dumbfounded at Natsu's face. The power was gone, she no longer felt the tingle in her cells, the rise in her soul, but she didn't feel empty with its absence.

It was simply waiting.

"You okay?" Levy asked and Lucy faced her slowly.

"What am I?"

"A fallen star," Levy answered and succeeded in confusing Lucy.

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't know all the details," Levy said, sitting next to Lucy, and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But I do know that you were broken off from a star, Astraea, the Greek virgin goddess of innocence and purity, who is the constellation, Virgo. Well, part of you was. It gets sketchy here, but I think you were born a human but were frail and weak due to your mother's sickness. Your mother prayed to the stars to save you, and as she had a connection to them—I don't know how or why, or if she was more than human—but they granted her wish at the cost of her life. Astraea, being a virgin, had no children, and though she didn't wish to bed a man, she did like children. She granted you some of her life, and made you more than human.

"You are a star child Lucy. I've never heard of this before. No one has. I don't know who your mother was, or what her connection to the stars was, but I do know you're more powerful than you know, and it may go beyond a simple healing spell."

"That was some pure magick," Gajeel said holding a wooden spoon. "Never felt that before."

"I think a lot of things are going to be happening that never have before," Levy said as Natsu stirred on the couch. Lucy dropped the baby wipe—how embarrassing would that be?—and cocked her head at him.

"Damn you, Gajeel." He muttered, rubbing his head.

"Already damned." He growled, going back into the kitchen. "Take a damn shower, ya stink!"

"Hey, Levy." Natsu gave her a tired grin. "Long time no see."

Levy smiled, tears building in her eyes. "About time, lazy bum." He gave a dry laugh. Lucy went into the kitchen, grabbing a class of water. She heard Levy's tinkling laugh and Natsu's deep, sincere chuckle as she walked back into the living room. She handed him the water and he drank it down in seconds.

"Gajeel's going to take a bit with the food, why don't you shower?" Lucy suggested, trying to keep her mind occupied. A star child. What exactly did that entail? And what was Fairy Tail? She'd forgotten to ask Levy.

"A shower would be amazing." Natsu stood fast, only to stumble and nearly fall on his face. Both Levy and Lucy grabbed and steadied him.

"Idiot," Lucy scolded. "You need to get your strength back."

"I know, but your healing really helped." His eyes didn't seem so dull now, in fact, they sparked with life. "Heard what Levy said, a star child huh? That's too cool."

"Ah, thanks," Lucy said, feeling heat in her cheeks. She wasn't used to compliments, not of this sort.

And really, she wasn't used to being a 'star child' as yet. Levy and Lucy guided him to the bathroom, where they left him to his own devices. The shower turned on, and they didn't hear a crash or thud, so Lucy figured he was okay.

"I'm going to the store," Levy announced suddenly. "Natsu needs clothes and he's picky about them. Will you be okay here with the two Dragon Demon Idiots?"

"I resent that, shrimp!" Gajeel called from the kitchen, and Natsu's muffled 'Aye' echoed from the bathroom.

"No one asked ya, flame brain!"

"Since when do you have to steal Ice Princesses insults, Metal Breath?" Natsu called back.

"Shut it, both of you." Levy snapped the command without batting an eyelash. Both boys went silent. "Anyway, I'll be back in about half an hour, okay?"

"That's fine, I have nothing to give him anyway, and I pray he burns those clothes he was wearing," Lucy said. She'd never wished for clothes to go up in flames before, but that pair of pants and shirt were beyond all hope.

"He will," Levy said wryly, giving a small finger wave as she walked out the door. Lucy cocked her head at the new metal hinges…hadn't Levy said that Gajeel was a Metal Dragon Demon? Would that mean he'd fixed the hinges? She walked into the kitchen and breathed in the heady aroma of Gajeel's special soup.

"Thanks for cooking," Lucy said. "And for fixing my door."

He shrugged. "I'm hungry, so I'm cooking. Yer lucky this soup makes so much, or I wouldn't share."

"Well, thanks for sharing," Lucy said seeing right through him. He was worried about Natsu. She couldn't say she's known him four hundred years ago, but she had to bet that the Natsu that was taking a shower right now wasn't anything like the Natsu from back then. Not just weakness wise either. He'd had four hundred years to think about what had happened, four hundred years to regret, to grieve, and maybe, to slowly give up hope of ever being free again. Of ever seeing his friends.

Gajeel and Levy—and whoever else Natsu was friends with may be have been angry with him at the time of his imprisonment, but they'd had four hundred years pass as well. Four hundred years of fading anger, and missing him, of grieving the fact that he may never walk into their lives again. Lucy could only imagine what they were feeling right now. Levy and Gajeel seemed so strong, so sure, but she imaged that Levy was going to take a chance to cry, to cry out emotions that had built over four centuries.

Gajeel, well, he didn't seem like one to cry, but she imaged he was sorting out some feelings as well.

"Gajeel, what's Fairy Tail? Levy mentioned it." Lucy boosted herself onto the opposite counter that Gajeel was working at. His long, thick black hair fell down his back and was pulled back with a thick headband, his only hair adornment and undoubtedly a gift from Levy. He didn't answer for a moment, his knife cut through some vegetables while the base of the soup simmered in the slow cooker.

"I don't even know how ta describe it." He said pausing for a moment. "It's a place that exists between the Realms, and everythin' is welcome. Human, Demon, Fae, whatever. Levy describes this crap better."

"Levy's not here," Lucy said wanting to know more.

"Big ass building." He said gruffly after a moment. "Founded by the first Queen of the Fairies, Mavis somethin' or other."

God, it was like pulling teeth. "Ga _jeel_ ," Lucy whined when he fell silent again.

"Keep yer hair on." He said, pointing the wooden spoon at her. "Thinkin' okay? There's all sorts of people, all sorts of…races, I guess you could call 'em. Too many to describe. Big shot is called Makarov, kinda runs the place. Gets us jobs, keeps the place open for everyone. Makarov's an Ogre of some sort. Tiny, though," Gajeel laughed, a kind of ' _gihihihi'_ that was both evil and sincere. "Never guess he's an ogre, don't look like one. Girl who runs the bar is Mirajane. High-class She-Devil, shifter of shapes. Not one ta tick off. Like I said, too many ta name. You get it, though."

"Yeah," Lucy said dreamily. It would be so cool. Seeing all sorts of creatures and knowing she wasn't alone. Knowing she wasn't a freak in their eyes, but something other than human, like them.

"You forgot a lot Gajeel!" Natsu exclaimed sounded reenergized. Lucy wondered where he got all that energy, especially after what he'd been through.

Then all thought dropped away when she got a good look at him.

"NATSU!" She screamed, throwing the nearest object at him—a roll of paper towels, that merely bounced off his chest.

His bare chest, for he stood in the kitchen in nothing put a towel.

"Hey, that's not nice Lucy." He pouted. "I was gonna tell you more about Fairy Tail!"

"Levy went to get you clothes; couldn't you have waited in the bathroom until then?" Lucy exclaimed, hoping that towel didn't fall—it looked a little precarious.

"Why?" He asked looking perfectly serious. "It's boring in there, and look I'm all clean!" Indeed, the grime was gone from his skin and his hair was brighter now, and whoa was it long. It tickled his neck but… _damn_ it looked good that way.

"Still!" Lucy averted her eyes. "You should get dressed."

"Why?" Natsu asked again. "You wandered around in a towel a lot." Lucy's face flamed and she shot a glare at Gajeel, who'd let out a chuckle.

"Alone!"

"I was here." He said. "You weren't alone." She sputtered, her mind going blank. She was saved, however when Levy called out "Hey, I got clothes!"

Levy walked into the kitchen and smacked Natsu in the face with his clothes when she saw he was only in a towel. "Get dressed, you perv!"

Natsu went back towards the bathroom, mumbling all the while.

"Oh wow, that smells great." Levy grinned, giving Gajeel a kiss on the cheek—he had to bend over and she had to get on her tiptoes to reach.

"Nearly done." He said.

"Already?" Lucy said in shock. It normally took hours and it had been forty minutes at the latest. Gajeel smirked.

"I got impatient." He said and Levy rolled her eyes. Natsu came out, sporting a long jacket with the left sleeve missing. It was dark and lined with gold. His pants were white, baggy and ended at the knee, cinched tight. His feet were bare. He didn't say a word, just started devouring the bowl of soup Levy handed him. They ate in silence until Natsu looked up and grinned at Lucy.

"I was gonna tell you more about Fairy Tail, but now I got a better idea." His canines gleamed in the light. "Let's just go there."

"Now?" Lucy exclaimed. It was eleven thirty! She was tired and wanted to climb into her bed. Plus, she was sure Natsu needed sleep.

"No," Levy said pointedly. "Tomorrow for sure, though."

"Awwww," Natsu whined and looked at Levy with wide, puppy dog eyes. " _Please?"_

Levy turned away, her composure shaking. Lucy's stomach quivered at the sight of it, but she bore down, knowing he'd drag them to wherever Fairy Tail was right now if they gave him an inch.

"No," Lucy said steeling herself. She met the pleading look with an unflinching glare. "We need sleep, Natsu. I know you want to see your friends, but you want to see them when you're fully charged, don't you?"

Levy was staring at her, impressed and Gajeel had an eyebrow cocked, and a smirk gracing his lips.

"Fine," Natsu grumbled and Lucy let out a sigh of relief. Finally, the Bambi stare was gone. She'd nearly lost it. Natsu ate five bowls of soup, despite Levy telling him to slow it down. Levy and Gajeel left soon after, with Levy telling her they'd go to Fairy Tail around noon.

With sleep weighing down on her, Lucy didn't even bother changing before climbing into bed. She was nearly asleep when the weight shifted and she saw Natsu climb in. She sat up; a shout on her lips, when she remembered what Natsu had been sleeping on for centuries—a broken cot and a ragged blanket. She laid back down, pulling the covers over Natsu—who'd passed out the second his head had hit the pillow—and watched him as his chest rose and fell.

Heat emanated from him, but it fluctuated, weakening and strengthening at odd intervals. How long would it take for him to regain his strength? And why was he still in here if the prison had been sucking his powers away for centuries? Though here, in her house, she didn't feel the prison's dark weight. Maybe it couldn't affect him, as long as he stayed in the Human Realm. She'd have to ask in the morning.

She drifted off to sleep staring at his drawn face and hoping he'd get better soon.


	6. Mornings With a Demon

There was something…wrong with the way she was positioned on the bed. Something not quite right. She was sufficiently covered with blankets, and her head was on a pillow, but why was there something heavy on her stomach? Opening her eyes, she blinked at Natsu's back. He was sprawled overtop of her, sideways, snoring away.

He was also very heavy, despite his emaciated form. Trapped, she wondered how she was going to get out. She seriously needed to use the bathroom. She put her hands on his back and used him as leverage to simultaneously push him off her and pull herself out from under him. He didn't stir and made no noise. She supposed that it had been a long time since he'd had a bed such as hers to use. Smiling softly she used the bathroom and beamed when she noticed that the mirror was clean. He must've cleaned it off after his shower last night.

Her mood light, she noticed that it was nine in the morning, which was only an hour later than she usually slept. She had plenty of time to make breakfast. She wasn't much of a cook; soup and breakfast were the only things she could make. However, she made it a point to be very good at what she could make, and breakfast was a particular skill she excelled at.

Humming to herself, she began with the bacon—something she kept around as a guilty pleasure—then started on the pancakes and French toast. Normally, she'd never make so much. She'd noticed, though, how much Natsu had eaten last night, and the gods knew he needed to put meat on his bones. It wasn't until she had the French toast and pancakes keeping warm in the oven and the last of the bacon were frying alongside some eggs that a rumpled, sleepy-eyed Natsu stumbled into her kitchen. He eyed up the food and she could see his nose twitching. A wide grin spread and a light sparked in his eyes.

"Oh man," He looked ready to drool. "I thought my nose was messing with me."

"Nope." She smiled. Her stomach fluttered and her heart warmed at the sight of his happiness at something as basic as a big breakfast. "You can set the table, it's almost done!"

He didn't even complain, simply set the table at lightning speeds—he also grabbed some ketchup and maple syrup. "No hot sauce?" He sent an imploring look over his shoulder.

"Ummmm." Lucy scooped up the last of the bacon. "Oh! I do have some. In the corner cupboard, bottom shelf. It spins." He practically dived for it.

"Ha ha!" He shouted, victorious, a slightly dusty bottle of hot sauce in his hands. With his help, they loaded up the table with food. Lucy bit her lip. Even with Natsu's appetite…she'd made way too much. Natsu however, seemed unconcerned. He loaded his plate, splattered hot sauce on _everything_ and drowned his pancakes and French toast in maple syrup. The bottle sputtered, sending maple syrup flying. A glob hit Lucy square on the cheek, and before she could grab a napkin, Natsu leaned over the table, _licked_ the maple syrup off in two quick flicks of his tongue and settled back in his seat, devouring his mountain of eggs.

Lucy sat, stunned, staring at the demon boy. He looked at her and her heart slammed loudly in her ears. _Was he going to say something about it? What was there to say?_

"You gonna eat that bacon?" He asked total innocence in his eyes. Lucy frowned and in a moment of irritation picked up the bacon and bit off a chunk with an ill-tempered chomp. He looked disappointed but only for a moment.

Fifteen minutes later the pile of food had been reduced by half and both of them were stuffed to the brim.

"You clean up," Lucy told Natsu. It was ten thirty now, and she needed to get ready. Nerves tightened her stomach and she desperately hoped she wouldn't lose the breakfast she'd just ate. The prospect of meeting all of Natsu's non-human buddies scared Lucy a bit. What if she said something offensive?

"Awww, do I have to?" Natsu pouted.

"I made it," She reminded him. "Just put the rest of the food into containers and put the dishes in the dishwasher." Cold fingers slithered down her back as her mind snapped back to meeting the Fairy Tail crew. What if they didn't like her? What if everything had changed so much that Natsu was no longer welcome? What if some of his friends were dead?

"Relax," Natsu said, suddenly at her back. She hadn't even heard him come up behind her! "I can smell your nerves, Lucy. Fairy Tail's not scary, I promise!" His breath tickled her neck. "It'll be good to see them again, and they'll love you, just trust me."

"Thanks." She forced out, trying to get her system under control. She walked to the bathroom quickly, hoping Natsu would clean up the kitchen well and not leave maple syrup goop on her table. Throwing back the shower curtain, she froze in shock.

" _NATSU DRAGNEEL!"_ She shouted staring at the disaster of a shower. There was mud everywhere and hand prints on the wall. The tub was dingy and there was long pink hair in the drain.

"What?" He skidded into the bathroom and winced at the shower. "Oops, sorry Lucy."

"Natsu you'd best clean this now."

"But the kitchen?"

"I'll clean the kitchen!" She exclaimed. "Just make that shower sparkle or so help me I'll never cook you breakfast again!"

"A-Aye!" He said with wide eyes. It didn't take her long to clean the kitchen and when she was done, she found Natsu on the couch, looking a little worn around the edges. _Stupid!_ She scolded herself. _He's still weak, and you're making him do household chores?_

"I'm sorry about the shower Lucy!" He said looking at her with the dreaded Bambi eyes. "I was tired last night and…"

"It's okay Natsu." She said gently and her change of tone obviously confused him. "I didn't take that into consideration, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I shouldn't ask so much of someone in your condition." Sympathy swamped her.

"Condition….?" It dawned on him; she could see it in his eyes. They darkened. "Lucy, I know I'm not in the best of shape," An understatement to Lucy, who could see the hollowed cheeks of his face. "But I can clean a damn shower or kitchen. Don't baby me, okay? Thanks for the big breakfast, it helped a lot. 'Sides," His grin came back, and it wiped any sign of weakness from his face. "I got a star child caring for me and I get to see my friends today! I'm all fired up!"

Lucy smiled back, it was impossible not to. It was obvious he didn't like being treated as an invalid…but she was going to try to get him to take it easy for the next little while.

"Then I'd better hurry!" She said rushing to the bathroom, Natsu's laughter echoing after her. She showered quickly, running a brush through her hair afterward at lightning speed. She debated with makeup and then decided to go very light, very natural.

Then she stared at her closet. What did one wear exactly when visiting your sort of roommate's Demon friends? She glanced at the clock, eleven thirty and Gajeel hated to wait. Biting her lip, she pulled out a pair of black high waist jeans and a long sleeved, blue striped crop top. She'd only worn this once before, but she'd felt so…powerful and in control when she had. She dressed and then dug out the combat boots she rarely wore. She remembered Natsu's words and instantly the nerves that had built in her stomach faded.

She looked in the mirror and smiled. The pants made her legs look longer, and accentuated her waist. The pants covered most of her belly, but it left enough for the crop top to flutter teasingly over the flesh. It wasn't what she normally wore, but she loved experimenting with different styles and finding what suited her. Inspired, she put a small braid along the left edge of her face, and walking with confidence, went into the living room. Natsu was flipping through channels, dressed nearly the same as he had yesterday. He must not have a lot of clothes to pick from.

"Gajeel and Levy should be here soon," Lucy said and he merely grunted. A little put out—after all, shouldn't this outfit get a little bit of a reaction?—she sat on the couch as well.

She supposed after four hundred years of being stuck in a prison cell, he didn't much care for fashion. He had other priorities.

Wait a second.

He left messages on her mirror, while she showered more often than not. He commented on fashion, telling her different options for a dress, and she usually stood there staring at her closet in her underwear.

Last night he'd mentioned her walking around in a towel.

"YOU PERVERT!" She screamed so suddenly that Natsu fell off the couch and face planted on the floor. God, _how many times had he'd seen her naked?_

"What are you talkin' about Lucy?" He asked from the floor. His legs were still on the couch, but he'd turned around to face her, his elbows holding him up.

"You looked at me in the shower didn't you?" She yelled. "When you left notes on my mirror!"

"Luc—" He was cut off by Lucy's furious glare.

"Bet you just loved that! And when I was changing too, I'm sure!"

"No!" He protested and something in his face had her calming for a second. "Lucy, come on. I-I did see sometimes but only on accident!" He looked like a man hanging off a very precarious cliff and his only chance of surviving was a girl who was furious at him. "Give me some credit, Luce! The girls at Fairy Tail made it very clear about what happens to Peeping Toms!" He shuddered with fear. Lucy studied him for a moment and then sat down on the couch, her anger gone.

"I believe you," She said and Natsu let out a long sigh. Before she could say more, someone pounded on the door.

"Oi!" Gajeel shouted. "I hope you two are ready, 'cause I ain't waitin'!" Natsu scrambled to his feet, childish excitement on his features. Lucy raced after him. Levy was leaning against the car, grinning.

"Oh man," Natsu was vibrating with excitement. "What did they say when you told them I was coming?"

"We haven't told them." Levy smiled a little sheepishly. "We've known that you were in the house but we didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, so they don't even know that we found your prison, let alone that you've been freed."

Lucy expected Natsu to be disappointed; instead, a devilish grin crossed his features. "Oh, this is going to be fun." They climbed into the car and Lucy tried not to think what Natsu was going to do when they got there. At the moment, though, he looked ill. Levy didn't seem concerned; she just told Lucy that Natsu had a bad case of motion sickness. Lucy hoped it wasn't too far to Fairy Tail.

Speaking of which… "Where exactly _is_ Fairy Tail?" She asked as the car pulled away from the curb.

"Wherever you want it to be. Hold on!" Levy said before Lucy could ask what she meant. Gajeel, who had been driving like a normal person and not a maniac like Levy suddenly, floored it. Natsu grabbed her hand but Lucy didn't care, she gripped his hand tightly as Gajeel drove straight to the end of the long, dead end road she lived on. Tall thick trees loomed over them and Lucy couldn't get the breath to scream when they launched off the road and into the grove.

Power streamed around them, and the air seemed to ripple and tear. Lucy could _see_ the barrier between the Human and Demon Realm. The barrier split in the middle and they were heading straight for that bifurcation. With an explosion of light, the car landed with a roar on a black road. The road was straight and surrounded by a towering forest. Soon, though, the forest thinned and a large, impossibly green valley opened up in front of them.

In the center of the valley, dominating the landscape was large, three-story brick building, with a strange symbol on the front. It looked like a jumping fairy…with an extra limb, a tail.

Ahh, Lucy thought, was this why it was called Fairy Tail?

Gajeel stopped in front of the building, and Lucy got out, awed. Natsu crawled out of the car, moaning all the while. Once everyone was out, the car faded.

"Gajeel! Your car!" Lucy exclaimed.

"It's fine," Levy said. "Vehicles do that. It'll come back when we need it." Natsu moaned again and earned a disgusted look from Gajeel.

"Wimp," He said.

"Oh, come off it Gajeel," Levy said. "If Wendy hadn't used her Troia spell, you'd be in the same boat." Gajeel scoffed but said nothing more. Suddenly, Natsu was up and grabbing Lucy's hand again.

"Come on!" He said beaming.

* * *

Inside the Guild, a young girl with blue hair had been chatting with the barmaid when a certain voice carried to her sensitive ears. She cut off midsentence and looked wide-eyed at the door. _Natsu?_


	7. Natsu's Family Reunion

"Wendy?" Mirajane, Fairy Tail's top bartender, bikini model and She-Devil looked at the small girl, full of concern. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, Mira-San," Wendy said turning away from the door.

_It had to be her imagination._

It was not the first time she'd thought she'd heard his voice, breathed in his scent, or felt his presence in the air. Grief played many cruel tricks on the mind.

* * *

The doors to Fairy Tail were huge—three times the size of Gajeel at least. The building loomed over her and nerves again rose up to swallow her. She was going from knowing three non-humans to possibly knowing hundreds. Her life, from now on, she knew, would never be the same.

Perhaps things had been moving towards this day ever since she'd moved into the house that she now knew was Natsu's prison. Whatever happened, though, she would face as well as she was able to. She would not cower in the face of her new life but would try to embrace it.

Natsu never slowed, knowing nothing about her internal thoughts, charging for the impossibly large door. He kicked it open and the sound echoed throughout what looked to be a large main hall. Joy lit his eyes, and though his body was still frail, a huge weight seemed to have lifted from his shoulders.

The only sound to be heard were cups slipping from limp fingers and splattering onto the floor. Lucy scanning the many faces, most of them looked stunned or disbelieving. She didn't know Fairy Tail, but it seemed to her that the occupants were not usually this quiet. Though seeing a friend after four centuries was enough to make anyone speechless, especially when you had figured him as good as dead.

"I made it back alive!" Natsu shouted suddenly. Gajeel and Levy stood behind them waiting for the collective silence to finally break.

It didn't take long.

"Natsu?" It came out as a slightly shaky question. Lucy couldn't see the speaker. Though from the emotion that the speaker couldn't quite keep from his voice, he must've known Natsu well. One of his friends? The voice strengthened. "I—mean, Flame for Brains? It's about time. Man, you look like crap!"

"Shut up, Ice Freak!" Natsu shouted back, his voice angry but there was a spark of happiness in his eyes. Ice Freak? Flame for Brains? Surely, after four hundred years they would have figured out better insults.

Or greeted each other a little nicer.

"Natsu!" A young girl's voice shouted, filled with tearful joy. A blue haired girl rushed forward, and slammed into Natsu, knocking him back a few feet. His hand slipped from hers, but she didn't mind. There was such joy on the girl's face, and if Natsu's glowed any brighter, he'd burst into flames.

"Wendy." She hadn't known his voice could be like that; gentle and soothing, and filled with such love her heart ached. Just how much hurt was he hiding? He hadn't seen his friends in _centuries_ yet he was acting as if it had only been yesterday.

"I-I missed you…so much." The girl, Wendy, sobbed into his shirt. He bent down, guiding her face to his shoulder and squeezed her tight. The breath he let out was full of grief.

"I know." He said almost too quietly for Lucy to hear. "I'm so sorry."

The moment was shattered by a cat's loud, ear cringing yowl.

" _NATSU!"_ Something small, blue, and winged smacked into the hugging pair and sent them sprawling. Lucy was slightly concerned that if everyone kept greeting him like this, they'd break him.

"HAPPY!" Natsu shouted in return. Lucy blinked. It was literally a winged, talking cat. There was nothing to distinguish it from a normal cat, except for its coat and wings. The silence was gone now, hundreds of questions were shouted about, along with insults and tears, all in equal measures. Two white-haired women, one obviously younger than the other, and a burly, giant of a man were crying, the women in the man's lap. Two boys, one tall, with reddish hair, the other fairly plump with black hair were fawning over Levy and Natsu in equal measures.

A white winged cat was watching the byplay between Natsu and Wendy, her furred mouth set in a firm line—but her eyes shone with tears. A black furred cat with a scar on one eye sat upon Gajeel's shoulders, obviously pleased with the developments. She recognized the cat as Pantherlily, Gajeel's much-loved cat he kept at home—except now the cat had _wings_ and she was fairly sure it had been talking to Gajeel.

This day could not get any weirder.

A small man sat on the railing of the second floor, tears flooding from his eyes as he shouted something about his precious children.

Then, silence crashed in again when a redheaded woman slammed an armored fist on a table. Her eyes too were glimmering with unshed tears, and she couldn't hide the joy in her eyes, but something about the firm, serious set of her face let Lucy know that sentiment would not change what she had to say—or what she thought about the whole situation.

"Natsu, I would very much like an explanation for this." The woman said her voice stern.

"Let up a bit Erza, please," The older of the white-haired woman spoke. "He just got back. Isn't it enough that he's with us again?"

"It's fine, Mira!" Natsu said with a grin. "Explainin' is easy. Lucy said my name and I was able to break free." He then turned his attention back to Wendy and Happy.

"Idiot," Gajeel grumbled.

"That's not enough, Natsu!" Levy scolded.

"What I want to know," A new voice spoke, one filled with authority. "Is why you two didn't mention anything about Natsu since you two don't seem the least bit shocked about this." The speaker was a blonde haired man with a lightning scar on his eye.

"Sorry Laxus," Levy said, pitching her voice above the chatter. It quieted, and everyone paid attention to Levy. Obviously, she was well respected around here. "But we didn't want to get everyone's hopes up. I discovered Natsu's prison two years ago when Lucy moved into the prison's Human Realm version, which was, frankly, a nice house. We became friends quickly, and I knew what her house was the second I saw it, as for Lucy, though, she seemed like a normal human, so while I had finally found Natsu, it didn't seem to matter."

"Lucy?" Mirajane questioned, looking over at her. Lucy felt hundreds of eyes suddenly shift over to her, and she suddenly wished she could melt into the floor.

"Hi," She said quietly, giving a small wave.

"Anyway," Levy drew attention off Lucy, causing the girl to mouth 'thank you' at her. "Since I thought nothing could be done, I kept coming over, not only because I liked Lucy, but to talk to Natsu when I could. It wasn't long, though, that things became very obvious that Lucy knew she wasn't alone in her house. Natsu left her messages on her mirror and fridge. Like any sane person, Lucy wanted whatever was in her house gone, and she confided in me. I tried an 'exorcism.'" Levy used air quotes around the word. Lucy frowned at her friend. That exorcism had been a sham?

"And when that failed, Lucy had some options. Move, or get used to her roommate. When Lucy ultimately decided to try and get used to her roomie, I felt hope. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to help him. Last night, Lucy finally asked Natsu for his name, and since he'd been storing whatever energy he could, he was ready when she spoke it aloud. He broke free of the prison, and it is even now slowly crumbling to nothing without Natsu's energy to feed on. Along the way, I did some research, because I was sure that Lucy was not your average human. I found out very little about her parentage and was only able to find a small book on Astraea, where someone had added in information about Lucy. She's a Star Child, a girl who was gifted life and magick by Astraea as a baby, costing her mother's life. I don't know who wrote it down, or what her mother's connection to the Stars was, but it's obvious that Lucy is not a regular human."

Natsu groaned. "My explanation said the same thing!" He complained. Someone scoffed, and loudly. "Shut it Ice Boy!"

"Miss Lucy," The small man on the railing addressed her, causing Lucy to feel uncomfortable in the spotlight again. "You saved one of my children from a terrible fate and brought him home. You gave him company when we could not, and are very brave for coming here and facing beings you know are not human. You've befriended Levy, who is part of the foundation of this place, and have put up with Gajeel as well.

"The last day must not have been easy, finding out that everything you've ever known is wrong. Thank you, for all you've done for us. You are Lucy of Fairy Tail, now and always, whether you never step foot in this place again or not, you are a beloved of Fairy Tail. You have brought the flame back to Fairy Tail! Let us celebrate! To Lucy!"

"TO LUCY!" A chorus of voices shouted in unison toasting her with alcohol the white haired siblings had distributed during the man's speech. Lucy's face hurt from smiling, and though she didn't feel like she'd done much, no one would listen to her protests. Levy and Gajeel had brought Natsu here, not her! Names and faces swirled in her head as she was pushed from table to table, from group of unknown to group of unknown. Eventually, she stopped trying to protest—she really hadn't done much!—and just enjoyed the people, the stories they told and the laughs. She noticed something too, many people had the emblem the building displayed on their bodies, and though it hadn't been there before, Natsu's right shoulder now sported a fiery red emblem. Gajeel's shoulder and Levy's shoulder blade had one as well—Gajeel's was black while Levy's was white outlined in delicate pink.

Seeking a break from the wild people that hadn't stopped surrounding her, Lucy slipped behind the bar to catch her breath.

"It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it?" Mirajane, the kind barmaid stated.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Lucy smiled at the girl. "I didn't mean to invade. Yes, though, it is."

"It's okay," Mirajane said, cleaning a dish. "If I didn't want you back here, you wouldn't be." Something about the way she said that had Lucy thinking that Mirajane was much more than she seemed. "Fairy Tail takes a while to get used to, and there are a lot of people to know."

"Who was the man talking on the railing?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, you mean Master Makarov." Mirajane smiled. "You see, Fairy Tail is like, oh, what do humans call it? Ah! A job center. We have job listings on the board, some in the Human Realm, and others in the Demon. Pay and difficulty correspond, usually anyway, and Master Makarov is the one to gather the jobs and make them available to the people here. The members—the ones you see with the mark—give a small percentage of their pay to the Master. He uses this money to pay for the building, the alcohol and other amenities offered here. We're just one big family."

"Oh wow," Lucy smiled. It was an efficient way for non-humans to make a living she supposed. For some of them, getting a job in the Human Realm would be next to impossible and she didn't know what the job market was like in the Demon Realm. "That's really smart."

"It is," Mirajane smiled fondly down at her. "I didn't get the chance to thank you, you brought Natsu back. We were all beginning to think the prison had won, and that there was no one to find."

"Mirajane…" Lucy didn't like to see such grief and hopelessness pass over the beautiful woman's face. "Honestly, I didn't do much. But…I'm glad he's here. He looks so happy. I only wish I'd known before…"

"Lucy you did much more than you think." Mirajane handed her a glass of water. "You gave him hope when I'm sure it was dwindling. You gave Levy hope, and I had thought she no longer dared to. You gave Gajeel hope, though he'll deny he even believes in it. Look at them, Lucy."

Lucy obeyed, peering over the bar. A man with no shirt held Natsu in a neck hold, a silver cross dangling from his neck. He was shouting at Natsu—who was shouting back—and both appeared to be highly annoyed with each other. However, there was unmistakable happiness in their eyes, in the slight hint of smiles on their lips. Wendy and Lisanna—Mirajane's little sister—sat close by, simply watching the 'fight' with knowing, happy eyes. Erza, the redheaded warrior, sat next to a blue haired man with a tattoo over one eye. She ate cake and something in the relaxed set of her shoulders told Lucy she was beyond happy. The entirety of the members were sitting in a circle around the pink haired Demon, who was now beaming at Wendy, exclaiming that she'd grown up on him.

A dark-haired youth with a scarf around his neck stared at Natsu with adoring eyes, asking dozens of questions.

All in all, the amount of joy, happiness, and friendship in the great hall was enough to light up New York City.

"See?" Mirajane said a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "I haven't seen them so happy in a long time. You brought the light back. We can never repay you for this."

Natsu looked over and caught Lucy's eye, waving frantically for her to join him.

"Thanks, Mirajane," Lucy said launching over the bar and running to be with Natsu. _She'd brought the light back,_ she thought happiness exploding inside her, _she'd brightened too many lives to count today._

_Maybe she'd done more than she'd thought._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and if you haven't guessed, my top BROTP is Wendy and Natsu ((Followed by Gajeel and Wendy, I'm sorry but Gajeel has a soft spot for tiny blue haired girls and you cannot convince me otherwise.)) So I will be putting a brother/sister relationship in here. Hehe. Thanks for reading guys, and I love reviews! They make me so happy. I reply too. ^^ I love getting into conversations with you guys and gals, so don't be afraid!


	8. A Wild Family Welcome

It was a bad idea to get out from behind the bar.

She was immediately swallowed by demons, sprites, Fae of all types and too many other 'mythical' creatures to count. There were slaps on the back, kisses on the cheek—sometimes right on the mouth—and a few bear hugs. A hand reached through the crowd of people and pulled her to relative safety. Natsu, looking a little worn and tired around the edges, grinned at her.

"'Bout lost you there." He said sitting her next to him on a bench. Wendy was on her in an instant, engulfing her in a tight, warm hug. The girl clung like a burr to Lucy, who was not used to children.

"Thank you for bringing Natsu back." Lucy softened something in her going to mush. She ran a hand through silky blue hair and figured kids weren't all that bad.

"I-" She swallowed the instinctive protest. "You're welcome." She hugged the younger girl with her free arm and decided that she could stay there as long as she pleased. Unfortunately, Wendy soon wiggled out of the embrace, but sat between Natsu and Lucy, swinging her feet.

"Wendy," The redhead scolded—too many names swirled in Lucy's head for her to remember if she'd been introduced to the redhead or not. "you should introduce yourself."

"Oh, right!" Wendy beamed a smile at Lucy. _Oh, man._ Lucy thought, her heart melting, even more, _this kid is far too cute to be real._ "I'm Wendy Marvel, the Sky Dragon Demon."

"It's nice to meet you," Lucy said. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

"She's also the closest thing Natsu has to a little sister," Mirajane said handing Lucy her water glass. "Aren't they the cutest?" Ah, that explained a lot. Siblings. Lucy looked over at Natsu, who was sticking out his tongue while cross-eyed, making Wendy giggle.

"It's good to see this again." The redhead commented. "I'm Erza Scarlet by the way. I am a Valkyrie. A Chooser of the Slain." Lucy wasn't quite sure what that meant—she'd looked up demons, not Valkyries—and decided not to comment.

"Lucy," She said though she didn't think anyone in the building was unaware of her name. "Seeing this makes me wish I'd done something sooner," Lucy admitted half to herself. It was obvious that Natsu was well loved here. Any grudges they may have held against him, and hurt they may have had, had been washed away by four hundred longs years of longing and grief. Mostly, Lucy thought now, looking at Gajeel. It seemed he'd still punch some sense into Natsu given half the chance—and a fully healed Natsu.

"Things happened as they are meant to," The man with the tattoo spoke now; she hadn't even seen him come over! "fate is fickle. Had you done it any sooner Natsu may not have had the power to break free."

"Are you forgetting something?" Erza asked with a cocked brow. Her armor gleamed in the light, hundreds of thousands of scratches and dings marred it, but it still managed an otherworldly glow. The man gave a slow, charming smile that made Lucy realize that not only was his philosophical; he was also deadly in the killer smiles department.

And judging by the slight blush in Erza's cheeks, the warrior was not immune.

"I am Jellal Fernandez; it is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lucy." He said with a slight bow. Erza looked away, blush deepening.

If these two weren't a couple or on their way to becoming one, Lucy would eat whatever it was that Gajeel was crunching—wait a minute was he eating _metal?_ Before she could reply to Jellal or try to make sense of Gajeel eating metal of all things, Mirajane came over with a flaming stick.

Yes, a flaming stick.

Natsu practically pounced on it, thanking Mirajane profusely, and _began to suck the flames into his mouth._ She couldn't help the dropping of her jaw or the wide-eyed stare. _He was eating fire._

"Isn't Natsu so cool?" The young scarfed boy whispered in awe. Lucy blinked at him, pure hero-worship practically seeping out of his pores.

"I-is that normal?" She asked him.

"Well yeah," He said. "Guess you're not used to all the crazy stuff that happens here, huh?" She shook her head. She didn't think she could live long enough to get used to Fairy Tail. "Well, Dragon Demons can eat their element. Natsu's thing is fire, Gajeel's is iron, and Wendy's is air. Eating their element gives them more power." She wasn't sure how Wendy could 'eat air' considering it was all around she wasn't here to get specific details on Mythicals.

"Anyway," The boy continued, lowering his voice to a conspirator level. "It looks like Natsu needs all the power he can get. I've never seen him like this." There was something young and fragile in his tone, though he had to be thirteen. It had to be hard seeing your hero so weak.

"He'll get better," Lucy said without a single doubt. "I may not have known him long, but he's stubborn and loves his family. He won't be weak, not after all he's been through. He won't lose another friend." There was very little that was certain for Lucy at the moment, her life seemed to be in flux, and nothing seemed to be in its place, but she knew that Natsu would not let his weakness define him.

He had too many people to care for, too many friends and family he'd caused to grieve.

The boy brightened, shooting her a smile reminiscent of Natsu's. "Thanks." A moment of silence passed. "Oh, I'm Romeo Conbolt. I'm from a family of fire demons." His hand lit with a purple flame. "Each flame has a different use; this one sticks to whatever I cast it on. You know, for not knowing Natsu long, you understand him pretty well."

He's then swallowed back into the crowd.

"Lucccyyyyy!" Natsu calls dragging her by the hand. "Meet Happy!" He exclaims, holding out the small blue cat she'd seen earlier. He was currently munching on a fish.

"Hi!" The cat greeted through his full mouth.

"Um, hi?" Lucy said not quite sure what to make of a blue, winged, talking cat.

"Tomcat, that is no way to greet a lady," The white cat stated, her nose turned up.

"Sorry Carla," Happy replied his fish finished. "Hi Lucy, I'm Natsu's partner, Happy!"

"Nice to meet you," Lucy said. He was kinda cute and she liked cats.

"Lucyyyy," The cat called something mischievous in his eyes. "You lived with Natsu for two whole years. You must liiiikkkeeee him."

 _Then again,_ Lucy thought, her face frozen into a polite smile, _maybe he_ wasn't _so cute_.

"Happy, what'cha talkin' about? Of course, she likes me," Natsu grinned. "Invoked my name and cooked my breakfast, didn't she?"

"You cooked him breakfast?" A girl's amused voice said. "I hope there's food left in your pantry."

"Hey, Lisanna!" Natsu greeted. Lucy studied Lisanna; she was destined to be as gorgeous as her sister was. While her sister used her looks and sweet nature to divert someone from the fact that she was much more than she seemed—Lucy wasn't quite sure what type of mythical Mirajane was, but it wasn't something cuddly—Lisanna simply exuded kindness. She was powerful, Lucy could see it in her eyes, and there was confidence there too. The girl was no pushover.

Lucy felt that same thing she'd felt when she'd met Levy—a soothing hand over her brow, and a connection she'd never been able to make before. Lucy smiled brightly at Lisanna, hoping to make friends.

"Surprisingly I do," She said matching Lisanna's amused tone. "I'm just out of any form of breakfast food."

"Natsu!" Lisanna scolded. "You're not supposed to eat her out of house and home!"

"Sorry Lisanna." Natsu rubbed the back of his head, his grin sheepish.

"Ah, he's alright," Lucy waved it off. "He'll just have to buy replacements."

"Come on Lucy! That's harsh," He complained instantly, trying out his Bambi eyes on her. Lucy's gut quivered at the sight of them and she heard several people dive out of the way of their powerful beams.

"Not harsh at all," Lucy countered. "I could make you wash my dishes for a week."

"Luce." Natsu looked slightly put out now as if he wasn't used to his Bambi eyes failing.

"God you're pathetic," A familiar voice said dryly. The boy with the necklace she'd seen arguing with Natsu earlier stepped out of the crowd.

"Oh, don't start this again," Someone complained.

"Kiss and make up already!" Someone else shouted.

The boys blushed from embarrassment, shouting protests in stammering voices.

"Like I'd kiss a Yeti!" Natsu declared, dodging a punch from the boy.

"I am not a Yeti!" Shirtless shouted back. She wasn't sure why his shirt kept coming off, it wasn't the strangest thing in this place.

"That's Gray Fullbuster," Lisanna told her helpfully. "Natsu and Gray haven't stopped arguing since they met each other." Lisanna giggled and gave Lucy a slight elbow nudge. "Neither will admit it, but they love each other like brothers. So, naturally, they fight like brothers." Now, Lisanna rolled her eyes. "Also like brothers, they'll swear to the grave they hate each other. Gray's half Yuki-onna."

"Um," Lucy blinked. Yuki-what now?

"Yuki-onna," Lisanna said. "Snow succubus basically. We're not quite sure what his other half is, considering Yuki-onna aren't very good at keeping track of lovers. We suspect some personification of Jack Frost or Heikki Lunta, which is a snow god."

"So he's a snow succubus?" Lucy blinked. Sure, he was hot…but it didn't seem otherworldly.

"Succubae tendencies don't pass well to male offspring," Lisanna explained. "He's cute, and if you don't love him like a brother like I do, he's hot too. If he really tried, I'm sure he'd have some power over females but he isn't like that. It goes against his nature. He was raised by a minor snow goddess, Ur, as Yuki-onna aren't very good mothers," She said this lowly, and in a tone that Lucy knew meant she wasn't to mention it to Gray, and that he didn't need or want sympathy or pity. Still, part of her heart hurt for him.

Soon, though, she was too overwhelmed to focus on it. Natsu and Gray had started a fight—Gray didn't seem to care about Natsu's weakened condition—and soon most of the people had been dragged into the brawl. Dishes flew, alcohol flowed in a river, fists were flung, and Lucy tried to avoid them all. The brawl died down after a bit, but the drinking and partying didn't. Soon, Lucy found a beer in her hand and was laughing and dancing with everyone else. She didn't know most of them, and they didn't know her, but they made her feel welcome as if she'd always belonged.

Somewhere along the way, Mirajane came over and asked if she wanted Fairy Tail's emblem, explaining that only those with it or escorted by someone with the emblem could come into the pocket dimension. It didn't take very long for a pink emblem to appear on her right hand after Lucy said yes. She was then swept away by the raucous partiers, and Lucy didn't think she'd ever had so much fun in her life. She didn't know how long they partied, she didn't know how much beer she'd drunk or how many people she'd met, she only knew that she'd never been so happy, and had never been so accepted in her life.

As the party settled down she found herself curled up on the floor, her head on Natsu's chest, Wendy curled on Natsu's other side, and Happy sprawled on Natsu's stomach. Gajeel was leaning against the wall behind them, his boot brushing against Lucy's back, Levy was curled in Gajeel's lap, and his cat, Pantherlily, seemed content in Levy's arms. The Strauss siblings were in a pileup; some guy had a broom sticking out of him, Romeo was spread eagle next to Wendy snoring in exhaustion. A girl with blue hair was using Gray as a pillow, while the two held hands. Laxus wasn't far from the Strauss sibling pile up, and he seemed to be holding Mira's hand.

Laxus's posse wasn't far from him either, though the girl—Ever?—was on the other side of the Strauss's and seemed to be inching ever closer to the pile as a big hand slowly wrapped around her waist. No one seemed to be in a particularly comfortable position—there was one guy who was literally half on a table and half off—but no one seemed to be bothered by it. Erza and Jellal had claimed an entire tabletop to themselves, wrapped around each other, though one would think the armor would be hard to sleep in. It didn't appear to bother Erza or Jellal.

Lucy was fast asleep, surrounded by people who were grateful to have their Fire Dragon back. And one who wondered what the consequences would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, yes, I know. I asked for what you guys thought Bisca and Alzack should be and then I didn't even mention them. Well, someone's gotta wake all these dorks up, right?
> 
> I didn't mention what everyone was because One: I like it when you guys guess, you give me ideas, Two: I haven't completely decided for everyone and Three: because I wanted this to be a good chapter and not just someone pointing everyone out and being like "And so-and-so is a blank thing and their powers are blank" you know? I put some people in there because I like to think some people-like Lisanna-would take pity on the poor human and be like "this is what some of these people are, by the way" and Erza's well...Erza and she would think it's proper lol.
> 
> I purposely didn't mention what Jellal was, for two reason. One: Not really sure what he should be yet, Two: I like to think he's slightly mysterious XD.


	9. Skeletons in the Closer--Er, Bathroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
> 
> I mean, enjoy?

Lucy had a very rude awakening. One moment, she's breathing in the warm scent of the woods, the rawness of the wind, and dealing with Happy's tail flicking her in the nose. The next? Her ears were humming with pain and there's an elbow in her face.

She'd been having a really funny dream too. In the dream, a drunken Makarov had been hanging from the ceiling by a rope, wearing nothing but a diaper and wings, he'd been shooting his 'children' with Love Arrows, claiming to be Cupid. He'd shot both Natsu and Lucy, along with three dozen others, so Lucy wasn't real sure who was supposed to fall in love with who.

Just before her rude awakening, she'd remembered that it wasn't a dream and that it had actually happened sometime during the night.

Man, she'd been laughing so hard at that…she must have been drunk out of her mind.

 _"Natsu!"_ Came the high, girlish screech that was her rude awakening. Feet pounded, and groans from the partiers went ignored by the happy, giggling child. Before Lucy could figure out what was going on, the footsteps closed in, then, with a mighty jump, the child landed on Natsu's gut. A bony elbow to the face had Lucy sitting up and getting out the way just in time. Natsu responded with a deep ' _Ooof,'_ his eyes popping wide, and launching himself into a sitting position, looking pained. Happy let out a loud yowl, which did not help the headaches that were starting to make themselves known, and whined about abusive children.

Lucy rubbed her eyes, trying to ignore the horrid taste in her mouth and the drumbeat that was pounding in her head. A girl of about six or seven was grinning up at Natsu, who looked highly confused. The girl was adorable, with her dark hair back in pigtails and dressed up like a cowgirl. Her grin was wide and she bounced up and down and up and down like her excitement couldn't be contained.

"Asuka!" A voice scolded but the girl looked unworried.

"Um, who _are_ you?" Natsu asked rubbing his head while his eyes followed the little girl's bouncing movements.

"Natsu, it is you!" The man looked like he'd stepped out of an old Western, with short black hair; a tan shawl, and a blue earring dangling from his ears. A woman stood next to him, with long flowing green hair, with the lower half pulled into a thick, single braid. She wore a cowgirl hat and a tan skirt with fringe. Her top was nothing but a bikini top and a small vest that fluttered at the sides. They held hands, and it was easy to tell that the child was theirs.

"Alzack! Bisca!" Natsu's eyes widened. "You guys got old!" Neither one seemed to take offense to that, either used to Natsu's blunt statements or too happy to see him to care. "Who is on my lap?"

"Our daughter," The woman, Bisca said with a smile. "Her name's Asuka and we've told her all about you. Enough that it seems she knew you on sight," She laughed, and it sounded like it had come straight out of an old west saloon. "She wasted no time in waking you up."

"How…" Alzack rubbed the back of his head. "Natsu, it's so good to see you."

"You two had a child?" Natsu shouted. "Wait? You two…got _married?_ I leave for a couple centuries and nothing makes sense anymore!"

Lucy snorted out a laugh, though it didn't help her head—neither did Natsu's shouting and from the grumbles she heard, no one else liked his loud commentary either. Though he acted like four centuries wasn't a very long time, but even for demons and such, it had to be….right?

"Natsu," Asuka said putting her hands on his cheeks and directing his gaze back towards her. "Mommies and daddies get married to have kids." Lucy smiled as Natsu nodded sagely.

"Man, I'm guessing there's a story to this?" Alzack asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Natsu groaned flopping back on the ground. "But dammit, my head hurts."

Asuka frowned. "You're not supposed to say bad words." She scolded.

Her awakening may have been rude, but as Lucy laughed, she realized it was quite perfect.

* * *

They told the story once again as the Guild members started picking their aching bodies up to start the day. There was plenty of grumbling, bloodshot eyes, and killer headaches to go around. Mirajane, looking none the worse for wear, began distributing 'The Fix.' The Fix was the Strauss siblings' secret hangover cure. The concoction was thick, brick red, and looked worse than the hangover. Natsu, his headache nearly making his eyes roll, downed the goo so fast Lucy winced in sympathy for his stomach. The results were instant:

Sweat popped out on his skin, and though he was a fire demon, his skin flared with heat. His bloodshot eyes cleared, and his tense body relaxed a bit. She didn't know what was going on _inside_ his body but from the puff of smoke he burped out, she didn't want to know.

Her symptoms were not _that_ bad.

She watched as Gray downed his glass nearly as fast as Natsu had the results very similar. He looked more uncomfortable, though, and she imagined that as an ice being, heat didn't sit very well with him; even if it would cure the killer headache she'd seen brewing behind his eyes.

Mira handed her a glass, and Lucy sputtered out excuses and tried desperately to tell her that she was fine. Mira smiled sweetly, but something _else_ seemed to flicker behind the sweet face, and when a sugary sweet tone said:

"I insist, it'll fix you up good as new in a minute," Lucy found herself taking hold of the glass and staring down at the contents nervously. A thought made itself known, fighting the steady pounding of her headache.

"Uh, Mira, is this _safe_ for humans to drink?" Lucy asked. Yeah, she was a Star Child, but she didn't know if it made her more than human enough to handle what looked to be a pretty powerful cure.

"You're not human," Mirajane said his face soft for real this time. "Besides, that cure can be used for all species, humans included."

Her feelings not quite clear—how did one come to terms that they _were not human?_ —She downed the glass much as Gray and Natsu had. Fast and with no time to think. The cure didn't taste all that _bad_ but it wasn't pleasant either. It kicked into her system as she imagined drugs did—with no mercy. She let out a shocked gasp as she felt it burn through her system. Sweat saturated with toxins fled her body, and she felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. She coughed, and stared at the smoke that came up.

Dear god, what was _in_ that stuff?

It lasted only a minute, but Lucy was sure she'd never been so free of toxins in her life. She felt…. _purged._ Natsu laughed.

"Can't say you belong to Fairy Tail until you've been baptized." He grinned at her, eyes lit with merriment. She supposed _baptized_ was the correct term for what she felt.

"I hate that crap," Gray muttered. His skin was flushed, and he looked very uncomfortable. In fact, his hands were forming ice and she could see the vapor swirling around his form. Obviously, he was trying to cool himself back down.

"Can't take the heat, Ice Princess?" Natsu taunted. His skin was flushed a bit too—as Lucy imagined hers was—but since he was the closest thing Lucy knew to the living embodiment of flame, she supposed the heat caused by The Fix didn't bother him too much.

"Whatever, just 'cause Mira has to make your Fix three times stronger than normal doesn't mean I can't handle the heat." Gray shot back. Lucy blinked. _Three times stronger?_

"I can't help that the normal stuff can't compete with my body temperature," Natsu grinned. "And doesn't she have to make yours weaker than normal so you don't melt, Snow Man?"

"Shut it Fire Freak!"

"Make me Cold Empress!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at the two of them. She'd been her for a _day_ and she was already used to their senseless bickering. It was obvious they'd missed each other, though she really wondered why after four centuries they hadn't thought up better insults. Standing up, she wondered where a bathroom might be. Her bladder was in serious need of a purging.

Mirajane materialized out of nowhere—seriously, how did she _do_ that?—and gave Lucy directions to the bathroom as she carried more Fix to some desperate people who were hiding in a corner to try and escape the lights and the building noise.

Lucy did her business, lingering in the plush bathroom as she rubbed a moistened guest towel over her face. So much had happened in so little time. She'd freed a demon, found out her best friends _weren't human_ and that neither was _she_ and she was literally standing in the den of mythical creatures who'd lived more lifetimes than she could imagine.

Yeah, that had hit her sometime in the night that everyone around her was _far_ older than she.

It also hit her that she was just asking for pain by befriending them. They would stay young. Young and firm, smooth and taut, for many, many years. While she would sag with age, grow weary and old and weak.

And die in a blink of an eye for them.

Or was _she_ now able to live a long life? Could she live _centuries_ now? She didn't know. She was a Star Child but she didn't have a clue as to what that meant. Was she blessed with a long life? She'd been born human, and now she was more than that but _what exactly did that mean?_ Would she have to watch herself age while everyone else remained as they were? Could she cause herself, and them, that kind of suffering? If she was lucky, she might live to see one hundred, but that was only a drop of time for them.

And if she was long-lived? Would she have to abandon the human realm and her human friends? Would she have to watch her father age and die, knowing she would live centuries longer than him? She wasn't on the best of terms with her father…but it didn't mean she wanted to outlive him by such a huge margin.

Nothing was simple anymore. Nothing had a clear answer and tomorrow was murky as a tar pit.

The strength in her limbs seemed to give out, and her mind hazed. Lucy stared at herself dully in the mirror, unable to react to the shadow that _wasn't hers_ that lurked in the background of her reflection.

How was it fair that she'd been sucked into a world of monsters? She had no reason to be here. No right. She'd freed their friend, and now she could dust her hands clean of them. Why risk herself? Why risk the life she'd known for _abominations_ such as the ones in the other room? Dirty blood, mixed lines, interspecies relationships. _Consorting_ with demons and Mythics of other statuses. She was of high standing in the Human Realm; she knew that classes shouldn't mix. It was a rule, an unspoken rule, why couldn't they obey _the rules?_ The _vile beasts._

It was wrong. It was _disgusting._

_Abominations._

She should leave. Stick a knife in the Demon she'd made the mistake of freeing and leave.

A crystal clear image of Natsu, bleeding, her hand on the knife plunged deep into his chest flashed so brightly into her mind that it seemed to sear itself to her very tissues. The bloodlust that came with it slammed into her system worse than The Fix, causing her body to shake.

Something slithered up her spine, something that whispered into her head, tried to get her to give in. Suddenly, Lucy snapped back into her own head, though it felt as if something vile had been slithering around in her mind. She was cold, and she couldn't get the scream out of her throat, as she was finally able to register her reflection in the mirror.

 _Something_ was leaning over her, blocking the lights and leaving an eerie glow on her pale, hollowed cheeks. It was formless, though something like a grin had formed on what she supposed could be the head. Two thick cords had attached to her wrists, and Lucy's stomach flipped as she realized that the cords were a part of…the _thing._ She glanced down, and found herself ankle deep in thick black goo that she knew was also a part of the monster holding her. The towering figure retreated into the puddle—she could find no other word for it—and she swore that _something_ laughed.

Her heart pounded, but her lips and throat refused to let the scream that was building her lungs loose. Fear was a living thing in her system, beating against her ribs, her stomach, causing her heart to pound loud enough for her to hear it. Her throat was dry as dust, and her doe brown eyes were widened in petrifying fear.

A skeletal hand shot of the murk at her feet, slamming over her mouth and Lucy felt herself slowly sinking into the shadow. Something else rose from the depths, and it leaned against her, whispering in her ear.

" _The ghosts of the past shall never rest."_

The scream finally loosed itself, and it was ear shattering. The thing hissed, the cords on her wrists turned to chains, and the hand on her mouth tugged, her back arched as she tried to fight the thing that was dragging her down. She kept screaming, knowing there were literally hundreds of Mythics mere yards away that could beat…whatever this thing was.

The goo was at her knees and panic had her trying to bite and claw. Her mind was a wild thing now, and her screams were increasingly desperate. Couldn't they _hear her?_

She wasn't even sure who _they_ were anymore. Some primal instinct told her that if she were swallowed, she wouldn't get back out. Someone had to save her because she had no idea how to save herself. Her magick was locked behind a wall of fear, and something more, something sinister. She'd tried to reach it without even thinking about it, her fear triggering instincts she didn't even know she had.

She was still screaming as the door exploded open, along with half the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MUAHAHAHAHA. You guys know I love you, right? XDD So...
> 
> So I was attempting to go to sleep when the image of Lucy being pulled into a puddle of evil goo and a voice whispering crap in her ear about the ghosts of the past popped up in my brain. ((Don't question, okay? I don't know where half the crap my brain comes up with comes from.))
> 
> I literally turned my computer back on and wrote this up for you guys! Aren't you glad? So it's now 2:30 in the morning and yes, I am posting this right now. I don't wanna wait. I wanna wake up to someone's panicked review. XD
> 
> I did mention that I love you guys, right? 'Cause I do.


	10. Devourer of Life and Voices of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the plot actually sorta starts.

She was blind but could _feel_ far, far too much. Spider webs against her skin, _things_ crawling underneath, on top of, _in_ her. The goo on the floor had swallowed her up to her knees, and she felt cold. Her very bones chilled, but she couldn't move. Couldn't move away from the sensation of things crawling, or something trying to tap its way into her brain. She'd stopped screaming a few seconds after the wall exploded, retreating to a deep, safe corner of her mind.

A part of her, one not occupied with pure terror, could hear what sounded like the guttural roar of a beast.

Several beasts.

Cold, from the outside, flew past her face, heat, something she _longed for_ exploded around her. The sickening clash of steel against bone added to the din. A she-demon, in a rough, terrifying voice, roared a challenge.

Louder than everything, though, was the first beast she'd heard roar. It was downright _feral_. Her soul shuddered, something was _on it_ , and trying to…she didn't know what it was trying to do. All she knew was that everything faded: she could no longer feel the random flashes of hot and cold, nor hear the beasts as they battled.

No, her mind was focused on her soul, a warm piece of her that was sort of detached from her body. Cold was soaking into it, causing it to flicker.

A primal fear erupted inside her. She didn't know how she knew but didn't question the sudden knowledge that flooded into her brain: if her soul flickered out if that… _thing_ managed to get enough cold into the beating heat, she would be lost forever. It would be a horrible form of living death: Alive, with a beating heart, only her soul would be gone. She would function: eat, sleep, walk and go through the motions of life, but would be nothing more than an empty shell. A container with no soul. A beating heart with no life, no personality.

She would be damned if she'd allow her friends—for as short a time she'd known them, as little as she knew about them, they were her friends—live with that. She wouldn't allow them to watch over her body, knowing she would never again be a normal member of society.

Her soul flickered, and then burst alive with a blinding light. Magick flooded into her veins, freed from the fear and the sinister energy that had locked it away. She didn't know any spells—did her magick even _work_ with spells?—she simply let her magick free, trying in desperation to rid her body, heart, mind, and soul of the darkness that fought to take over.

She heard several voices shout: "DUCK." As her vision returned to a shimmering gold and white light.

Suddenly, she was flying, or what felt like flying, honestly, her body felt strange, it was hard to tell where her limbs were, and whether or not she was on the ground or in the air. All she knew was that the darkness was gone, and she was free from the shadow's evil.

Buzzing hummed in her ears, and she realized her ears were ringing as if she'd been near a gun that had gone off, and she hadn't been wearing earmuffs. She didn't know if her eyes were open or not and she couldn't feel anything.

"Relax Lucy," Someone said. It was hard to tell whom, there were several voices talking but they all sounded similar to her shocked ears. Her stomach twisted with sudden nausea, it felt as if she was on a wild boat, and she had no sense of orientation.

Exhaustion flooded into her as both adrenaline and magick faded.

With a snap, everything was clear. She was aware of the soreness that plagued her body, and that she was in someone's warm arms. She was still bone-chillingly cold, but the arms that held her and the chest she was against was warm and soothing. Her eyes were closed. She opened them and gazed up at Natsu's angled face. She wiggled her toes, just to make sure she could. Natsu seemed to notice the movement and looked down at her sharply; the grim expression he'd been wearing vanishing as a wide, toothy grin took its place.

With her sense restored, Lucy's head flooded with questions. They faded as she got a good look at Natsu's face. Despite the elated grin, his face seemed taut and drawn, and exhaustion had caused bags underneath his expressive eyes. He was paler than she'd seen him before, and he looked like he was in desperate need of a hearty meal. His chest was moving quickly, and she realized that he was breathing hard, and with a start, it dawned on her that she could hear his heart, beating as if he'd just run a marathon.

She remembered the wall exploding, the guttural roars of a pissed beast, and realized Natsu had far overextended his weak body and was suffering for it. Now she could see that his grin was strained.

"IDIOT!" She shouted, her voice coming out rougher than she intended. It felt as if she hadn't used it in weeks. "Why are you carrying me? You're about to fall over! PUT ME DOWN."

Before Natsu could even think of a response—if it would have been a protest, a shout that he could handle anything or a pout, she would never know—strong, cool arms plucked her out of Natsu's grasp.

"She's right, Pyro," Gray intoned; now holding Lucy. "Sit down before you fall down."

When Natsu only muttered a few token protests, more out of reflex than anything, and promptly collapsed on a chair, Lucy's panic levels began rising. Just how hurt was he? He should have argued or challenged Gray to a fight. Or yelled at Gray for taking her from him. Her panic must have shown her face because Gray smirked at her.

"Chill," He said. "Flame Brain ain't dyin' just yet."

"Damn straight," Natsu muttered but he seemed half-awake.

"Idiot," Gray said suddenly furious. "You know you're in no shape to fight, why the hell did you try and battle that _Devoratrix vita_? You know damn well you can't kill them with fire! What good would have done to us if you'd gotten yourself killed or _worse?_ You're not at full strength, stop pretending like you are!"

The silence that followed Gray's uncharacteristic outburst lay over the building like a thick, impregnable cloud.

Suddenly, loud, rough snores shattered the silence, and Gray stared dumbfounded at his rival.

The bastard had fallen asleep in the middle of his rant!

Lucy felt herself fading as well; she simply couldn't stay awake any longer. She had a million questions, but she couldn't force her mouth to form the words and even if she could her mind was so tired, she'd never be able to understand the answers. Gray wasn't what one would call _warm_ but the coolness of his body wasn't menacing, it wasn't evil or draining. Not like the cold she'd felt in the grasp of the demon-thing. She curled her body up closer, and Gray shifted to support her better.

She fell asleep to the rumble of Gray's voice as he answered someone's question.

_Lucy._

_Luuccyyyy._

_Lucy._

_Yo, Princess._

_Love of my life?_

_Golden light?_

_HELLO._

Lucy was floating…somewhere. She was really sick of not knowing what was going on around her. She was sick of describing objects and places around her as _things_ and she was sick of her life throwing her curveballs at every turn simply because it could.

But mostly, she was sick of the insistent voice calling her name because _goddamnit she just wanted to sleep._

 _WHAT?_ She shouted back at the annoying voice, only to realize she'd heard it before. Most recently, _this_ voice had been the one to impart on her the knowledge that if she didn't fight off the shadow-skeleton-tentacle-rape-wanna-be, that she'd be lost forever. That's why the knowledge had been so sudden and foreign, _it hadn't been her thoughts._

Lovely.

 _Now, now, be nice Lucy._ The voice chastised, sounding amused. _Listen to me. I don't have much time. You have to find me._

 _Who the hell are you? And what the hell are you doing in my thoughts? And how the hell am I supposed to find some disembodied voice in my head? AM I INSANE? I don't want to be INSANE._ She felt as if she'd heard the voice before the bathroom-trip-of-doom, but she couldn't place it. She really hoped she wasn't insane.

_Relax. I have a body, you're not insane, I can't tell you my name right now, and we're running out of time. Listen to me Lucy, if you don't find me in three weeks, I'll be nothing but a memory. I can help you. I can answer questions no one else can. Be careful, Lucy Heartfilia, there are dark forces at work—wow, that was cliché—but it works, because it's true. You're stronger than you know, and I know you can save me. You've triggered a chain of events that have been waiting hundreds of years to unfold. You know where I am, you just have to remember._

_I have to go now; I need to reserve my strength._

_…..Be careful._

_WAIT. WHO ARE YOU? HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND YOU? Could you send me a map? A picture? SOMETHING? HELLO? ASSHOLE. HEY. VOICE DUDE. WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER? Could you give me a less cryptic hint? I don't remember you! HEY._

_….I hate you._

Oh yeah, she was totally insane.

"Lucy's making funny faces," A voice said and something poked her face. "You know your face can get stuck like that, right?"

"Happy, be nice, she's not even awake yet," Someone else scolded. It clicked after a moment. Happy and Lisanna. She must still be in the guild because the bed she was on was _so_ not hers.

"Yes, I am." Lucy rubbed her hand over her face. "How long was I asleep?"

"It's dinnertime, same day," Lisanna said her shockingly blue eyes lit with happiness. "Natsu's still out, but once he smells food, he'll charge out of here."

Natsu's revving chainsaw snoring from earlier had settled down to a low rumble, like a chainsaw idling.

"How did I not notice that?" Lucy muttered. It was constant, and the boy was splayed out the bed next to her, looking weaker in sleep than he had awake. The worry must have shown because Lisanna smiled brightly at her—but Lucy could see the worry that clouded the girl's eyes.

"He'll be okay; he'll eat like a horse, pick a fight with Gray, eat fire, and pretend like he's not so weak." Lisanna's smiled faded. "Idiot,"

"Idiot," Lucy agreed, though neither of them said it with any venom. They both knew Natsu would never take a few weeks to just calm down and try to recover a bit, let alone the few months it would take him to get a reasonable amount of weight on. Fighting a demon a day after his release from his prison had probably left him weaker than he'd ever been before.

Despite what Lisanna said…Natsu might not wake up for a while. He hadn't recovered from breaking out of his prison…dammit, Lucy thought. Why did I have to be attacked? Natsu wouldn't be so weak if that idiotic Casper-the-not-so-friendly-demon hadn't attacked. Why couldn't other worldly things just leave her alone? Her thoughts wandered to the disembodied-boy-in-apparent-mortal-peril she had to somehow save even though she had no idea where he was or _who_ he was.

Oh, the life of Lucy Heartfilia.

Interrupting her pensive thoughts, was a loud gurgling sound that sent Lisanna into fits of laughter.

"I guess you're hungry," She smiled. Lucy put a hand on her stomach, her face flushed.

"Maybe a little," Lucy confessed. They left Natsu snoring in the infirmary—the only place that had beds in Fairy Tail's building—and when she walked into the dining hall, she was instantly bombarded with questions varying from 'are you okay?' to 'how the hell did you do that'?

Lucy wondered what 'that' was, but was too hungry to care. After a few glares from Mirajane, no one dared ask another question. Lucy ate, and as she ate, Levy filled her in on what had attacked her.

Apparently, it was called _Devoratrix vita_ or the Devourer of Life. They were black creatures, whose origins were questionable. Some said they were the result of ancient, evil demons fusing together, others said they were born of Zeref's uncontrollable mad power, an accident of his potent magick. No one knew, however, if these theories—or others—had any actual credibility. However they were created, though, one thing was clear: Devourer of Life was an appropriate title. They feasted on souls. Human, animal, magickal, demons, Fae, or whatever else had the misfortune of crossing their paths. They didn't care.

Evil or good, dark magick or light magick, demon or human, if it had a soul, they would destroy it, devour it. No one actually knew what it did to the souls, or whether or not they were needed for the Devourer to live or if it simply liked killing. The more Levy said the more Lucy knew that actual, solid information about Devourers was slim and most of what was 'known' was speculation.

Not many people lived to talk about their experiences with a Devourer.

It was very hard to kill a Devourer as well, they were immune to most magicks, and their bodies seemed to regrow when parts were blasted off. It seemed the only way to ensure demise was to cut off its head and destroy the body with pure magick: not something easily done.

Devourers like wreaking havoc and were able to possess some people in order to force them to kill who they loved. Blood didn't feed a Devourer, but it apparently liked to spill quite a lot of it. It was theorized that the more tortured the soul was when the Demon finally ate it—or whatever it did—the better it was. No one knew in what sense it was better though—taste better? More nutrition? Who knows?

There were a lot more theories and horror stories concerning Devourers, but Levy chose to skip that. All that mattered was that Lucy was safe.

Lucy shuddered, though, at all the unknowns. That thing had been in her mind, touching her soul. It had wanted her to kill her friends!

"What I don't understand though is why it attacked here," Levy mused. "Devourers don't like large groups like us, powerful Demons and Fae that could actually hurt it. It likes isolating its prey, controlling them, and then killing off a small family or group. It would be suicide for even a Devourer to go against us all. I've never heard of this…anyway, Lu, if you want, you can tell us what happened. It may help to get it off your chest."

Lucy swallowed, slowly sipping water to try to quench her suddenly dry throat. Terror wanted to drown her, but she knew there was no need to be afraid, not with so many people around. She went through what happened: Her sudden, uncharacteristic thoughts, the slow descent into the creature's dark pool, her terror, and confusion. She took them through it, trying not to leave out details. She shook, with cold or fear she couldn't tell, but no one said anything, and someone put a jacket over her shoulders. It was furred and long, and she saw the man with the lightning scar—Laxus!—walk away, his shoulders bare, his expression daring anyone to comment.

No one dared. But then again, Natsu wasn't there to make a snide comment.

Grateful she snuggled into the overlarge coat, wondering what sort of ridiculous fashion sense the man had to have to wear this thing. When she told Levy of the voice in her head, the one that spoke of ghosts of the past, the girl went dead pale.

"It _spoke_ to you?" Levy's horrified face made Lucy want to crawl into a hole and never come back out. "That's never been talked about before; I didn't know they _could_ speak in a language someone could understand."

Unease seemed to spread throughout the hall. Lucy decided not to mention the longer, much stranger conversation she'd had with a man who'd claimed to need her help in her head.

All they needed was more fuel for the 'Lucy's insane' fire.

"Though it seemed to have issued a warning," Makarov spoke for the first time. "One that we should not take lightly," It was hard to imagine that this was the same man who'd been shooting love arrows while dressed up as Cupid last night. He seemed to have aged since then, and there was something in his eyes that made Lucy nervous. For the first time, she wondered how old Makarov really was—just how much had he'd seen in his hundreds of years of life?

"What happened on your end?" Lucy asked. Levy shrugged.

"Not anything you haven't already guessed," She said. "Natsu heard you first, and then it was pretty easy to hear you. He blasted down the wall and started fighting the Devourer. We all joined in; trying to get it away from you…The only thing we don't know, Lu, is what _you_ did. You said you unleashed your magick, trying to keep it from your soul…but we've never seen anything like that. It was pure magick, if you didn't kill the Devourer, you came damn close."

"I don't know either," Lucy said with a helpless shrug. "I was terrified, Levy. I just didn't want that thing to win. I wasn't thinking about anything, really. I don't know any spells, or how my magick works. It was just luck and unholy terror. I doubt I could do it again, not without something threatening my soul."

"I guess when you explain it like that, it makes more sense." Levy mused. "We've all lost control of our magick at some point; it's just that we've never felt your type of magick before…"

"It is a bit like Jellal's," Erza mused inspecting a strawberry on her cake.

"Oh?" Lucy turned and saw the blue-haired man standing not far away from Erza. "If you don't mind my asking, Jellal, what exactly are you?"

"I don't know," Erza said before Jellal could speak. She cocked a brow at him. "No one does." Jellal shrugged.

"Don't know either." Lucy blinked at his statement. Was he like her? Some weird new Mythic? Jellal tapped his head. "I have some…memory issues." He explained. "Erza's right, though, it is like my own magick, but it's not exactly the same. Certainly not close enough to mean we're the same type of Mythic,"

It dawned on Lucy that Jellal had been hoping that they were the same, so he would finally know just what the hell he was. She imagined having such a gap in one's memory was disconcerting. It couldn't be easy, knowing you were some type of 'mythical' creature, but not knowing which one, and not knowing your heritage. At the very least, she knew what she was: a Star Child. Though what it entailed was anyone's guess.

 _Apparently,_ she thought, _it means I have to go save some dude from only god knows what and then_ maybe _he can answer some questions for me._ With her luck—which didn't seem to be very good at the moment—she'd walk straight into a trap of some type.

"Lu?" Levy asked and Lucy realized that Levy had been trying to get her attention.

"Sorry, what Levy?"

"You okay?" Levy asked. "You look like you swallowed something sour."

"I'm okay, just a little overwhelmed," Lucy confessed. A lot had happened in two days, and the reality of the Devourers appearance was beginning to gnaw at Lucy's gut. She could have been worse than dead, or someone else could have been. She'd endangered everyone. She watched little Asuka chase her father around, she was giggling so hard, the little girl could barely run.

How could she have lived with herself if something bad had happened to her parents? Or worse, too Asuka herself?

"Stop worrying," Erza commanded suddenly. "No one was seriously hurt and it wasn't your fault." The woman's intuition startled Lucy, though she guessed it was an obvious train of thought.

"Erza's right," Mira smiled sweetly and Lucy had a sudden flash to a woman with a crack running down her face and murder in her eyes. "Besides, it was kinda fun to fight something as strong as a Devourer." Her smile suddenly wasn't so sweet and Lucy found it all too easy to see her as a She-Devil. It was hard to remember at times that everyone in the room—including her—were more than human. That most of them had lived hundreds of lifetimes.

She heard Asuka giggle and wondered if she was six years old or six hundred. She breathed out a little sigh of relief when she realized that Asuka couldn't be six hundred years old—Natsu had been gone for four hundred years and didn't recognize Asuka and had been surprised that her parents were together.

Still, it didn't mean that the supposed six-year-old wasn't older than Lucy.

And oh god, she wished her thoughts would stop jumping from one mind-blowing topic to the next. She had enough to deal with!

"Thanks for the food, Mira," Lucy said as the barmaid filled Lucy's cup with more water. Lucy hadn't wanted any alcohol, and Mira had agreed. There was no need to do that to herself, not after the day she'd had, though Cana had told her that one shot might help her relax a bit.

And with the thoughts that were running through her mind at the speed of light, Lucy began to wonder if Cana had the right of it.

"Hey," A rough voice said suddenly. Lucy turned around so suddenly she nearly gave herself whiplash. Natsu, his vest missing, his pants rumpled, his feet bare, stood at the entrance of the dining hall, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was still too pale, and the muscles that Lucy was sure had once graced his stomach were thin. It occurred to her, not for the first time, that if she hadn't invoked Natsu's name, he might not have lasted much longer.

"Idiot," Gray said vehemently, evidently still ready to give Natsu a tongue-lashing. "You-"

"Blah, blah, blah," Natsu said making his way to the bar. "I'm hungry, dammit, and some dude woke me up."

Gray's words died in his throat and he blinked in confusion.

"Oh no!" Happy cried out. "Natsu's gone insane!"

"Natsu, no one was in the infirmary but you," Lisanna said.

"No one went in after Bunny Chick came out," Gajeel said speaking from his location at the end of the bar—which gave him a clear view of the hall that led to the infirmary. Lucy rolled her eyes at the nickname.

"I wasn't talkin' bout someone _in_ the room," Natsu said grabbing the leftover food on Lucy's plate, Mira had put far too much for Lucy to finish on her own. "Some dude was talkin' to me in my head."

"I'm with Happy on this one," Gray said after a moment. "You've gone insane." Natsu rolled his eyes.

"I ain't nuts!" He protested, finishing off the food and attacking what Mira had brought him. "He didn't say his name, but he said that Lucy had to find him. Said she might need my nose, and that she already knew where he was, she just needed a little reminder. Don't know how I'm supposed to help with that, but whatever." Lucy was pale, staring at Natsu. Had the man spoken to him as well? She chewed on her lip, looks like she'd have to talk to everyone about the voice in her head after all. Great.

"Oh!" Natsu said through a mouthful of food. "He also said he knew you wouldn't say anything, so he told me to tell you that you aren't a burden, aren't insane…and…oh yeah," He beamed a smile. "That Fairy Tail would help you, so you aren't alone."

"Lu?" Levy said. "Explanation please?"

Reluctantly, Lucy told them of the voice that had visited her while she was sleeping, the one that had told her the dire consequences of losing to the Devourer, and had then asked for her help. She told them the voice was familiar, she just couldn't place it.

Fuzzy memories tickled at the back of her mind, but she couldn't bring them to the forefront, couldn't remember more than a feeling of security and her own laughter.

"You should have told us, Lucy." Makarov scolded and Lucy felt like a small child faced with her angry father. The thought filled her with warmth. Fairy Tail _was_ family. "You can trust us. I know this is all new to you, child, but Fairy Tail is your family. We may not be able to feel your emotions completely, but when one Fairy cries, we all cry. When one laughs, we all laugh. We'll do what we can to help you, child. I don't know who this man is, or why he needs your help specifically, and I ask you to proceed with caution."

"I will, thank you," Lucy said smiling brightly. It was nice not to be alone. Not to have to face this on her own.

"Do you have any idea where this man might be? It's got to be somewhere you've been before, or know well." Levy said.

Lucy frowned. The memories were so old…with little information. It was just feelings. Security, warmth, laughter. A…break. Freedom. There was only one place that she would need a break from. Freedom from. Lucy's fists clenched.

"I don't know if it's the right place…" Lucy said hesitantly, trying to find something to discount her theory, but finding nothing. "But it may be my childhood home…"

"That shouldn't be too hard," Gray said. "Your old man is still around, isn't he? Just drop in for a visit, I think it would be pretty clear if the man you're supposed to find is there or—what's up with your face? Don't cry!"

"I'm not crying!" Lucy said shoving the tears of anger and stress down. The memories she'd tried so hard to bury were surfacing against her will. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to go back to that house. "I just don't want to go home. My dad doesn't live there anymore. He lost his fortune. I don't know where he is, I haven't seen him in years. For all I know, the house has been sold. I can't exactly go in there, asking if some demon spirit thing is there and hey, could I check the grounds for this guy that spoke in my head please?"

"Well, we won't know 'till we go there, right?" Natsu said not fazed by her outburst. "'Sides, if we're sneaky enough, they won't know we've been there at all."

"Oh yes," Gray said dryly. "Because you are the embodiment of stealth."

"You want to go Easy Freeze?" Natsu shouted.

"You can't take me, Flame Brain!" Gray shouted back.

The boys started fighting, wrestling like puppies on the floor.

"If I may," Jellal spoke now. "I suggest that you find out if the house has been sold. If it has, you can claim that you think there might be something of personal value in the attic or basement, and if they would be so kind to allow you to search for it. If no one has bought it, then you can't get into trouble for being on grounds, it is, after all, your childhood home, and you can use the same reasoning."

"Thanks," Lucy said blinking. Jellal didn't seem to talk much, but when he did, his statements were wise. He inclined his head, and stopped Erza's cake from falling to the floor due to Natsu and Gray's brawl in a movement so fast, Lucy barely noticed.

"While they're brawling, why don't we find out if your house has been sold?" Mira asked, gently guiding Lucy to a room behind the bar.

"Yeah, thanks," Lucy said. She might not know exactly _who_ needed her, but if he was connected to the only warm memories of her childhood, then he was worth finding.

Besides, he had answers, and Lucy desperately needed those answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys can guess who the voice is. To me it's obvious, but that's because I KNOW who it is. You'll get internet brownies (or some other treat) if you guess right. ((And I may be able to fit in some NaLu fluff next chappie, but we shall see. Comments and Kudos are appreciated. 
> 
> Also, I'm still getting used to how AO3 works, so is there any other tags that you guys think should be there? Or tags that I should take out? Thank you.


	11. Whispered Memories

Natsu was exhausted. He could feel it, the ache of it in his bones. He could feel the weakness in his limbs, the atrophied muscles. He'd tried, but muscle simply wouldn't stay on his body, not with his power slowly being drained, the meals that came with decreasing regularity, the hunger that faded with every passing day as his body simply couldn't take anymore.

He'd never say it, but he knew if Lucy hadn't saved him when she did, he wouldn't have lasted another fifty years, let alone another hundred. It'd been fun with Lucy, though; it had made his prison less dull, and a little brighter. He'd known she wasn't human from the first moment she'd stepped foot in the house, but he'd never imagined she'd be able to free him, not at first. After a few months, though, it became clear she was his only hope. She hadn't run screaming, and Levy had befriended her.

So he'd stored what power he could, it wasn't easy, with the prison trying to suck it all out of him and all, but he'd managed to amass more power in those short months then he'd had since he'd been imprisoned. When she'd started mumbling about names and the consequences, he'd known she was going to do something soon, which was good, because the prison was starting to eat away at the power he'd so jealously hoarded. He hadn't expected the explosion of power though…apparently; he wasn't as weak as he'd believed.

Lucy had taken the fast turn of events well, though, bouncing back quicker than he thought possible. He hadn't really been able to spare the power he'd given her in the water, but he hadn't had a choice. He was still disgusted with himself that he'd hurt her, even if it had only been for a few minutes and no permanent damage had been done.

"Natsu," Natsu glanced at Gray, who for once didn't seem intent on starting a fight.

"So you're actually gonna talk to me?" Natsu asked, teasing slightly.

"Don't push it," Gray said and then sighed. The hall was filled with chatter, a few arguments, but since Lucy's attack, no fights had broken out. Natsu knew he'd been stupid in trying to fight, his flames were weak, and his magick reserves were still trying to replenish themselves. Usually, it wouldn't take this long, but it had been a long time since his reserves had been full, and they'd shrunken slightly from four hundred years of disuse. "Be straight with me," Gray said suddenly. "Just how bad are you?"

Natsu sighed tried to ignore the dragging pains in his body. "Could be worse,"

"That doesn't answer my question," Gray said anger underlying his voice. "You trapped in that place for four freaking centuries. Normal demons wouldn't have lasted a hundred years, I would've been lucky to survive two hundred. We figured you were done for a hundred years ago."

"Fine," Natsu hated admitting weakness. "My magick is taking a good while to replenish, it's still not full. You can see the physical," Natsu gestured to his thin body, the muscles he was going to make his personal mission to pump back to life.

"Yeah, and I can also tell your in pain," Gray said. "Natsu, you're pushing it too hard. You need to take a while to build yourself back up. You're not helping anybody if you collapse from exhaustion."

"Well if you're such an expert on my condition then why did you ask?" Natsu grumbled. "Look, I'm not an idiot…well, not as much of one as you think. I'm well aware of my condition, but I'm not gonna let it stop me. I'll get back to where I was, and I'll get stronger than ever. I'm not gonna let you guys down again. I missed too much and I failed to protect Lucy after what she's done for me." Natsu looked over at Gray, serious and stern with each other for the first time. Natsu grinned suddenly. "You still pissed at me, Gray?"

Gray rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Sometimes I forget that there is a brain in that hot head of yours."

"You callin' me hot?" Natsu's grin widened as they stepped onto more familiar ground. "I didn't know you thought so, I'm flattered."

"Haha," Gray muttered sarcastically. "You know what I meant." Silence fell between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable, at least not for them. Some of their friends were noticing that they'd managed to talk to each other without shouting or brawling, and were wondering how long it would take them to snap. "You didn't fail us you know."

Natsu blinked at the sudden statement.

"Yeah, we still think you could've handled it better," Gray said. "But we also get that it's hard to fight a friend with the intention of ending them. We're just glad you're alive. It took us fifty years to find out that you'd been imprisoned…somehow; it was easier than believing you were dead. At least then, maybe, we could go rescue your ass. The more we found out about it, though….the less chance there seemed to be of finding you or being able to free you. I told you we thought that prison won a hundred years ago…it was still hard to believe and we never stopped looking. I don't think any of us really wanted to believe you were gone." Gray smiled suddenly, it was light and free, and Natsu blinked at it. Lisanna said that Gray didn't have incubus powers, geez, what a lie that was. "And it turned out we were right, 'cause in true Fairy Tail fashion, you're back."

Natsu grinned right back and breathed out a sigh of relief that Gray wasn't pissed at him.

"Has Gray-Sama finished his talk with Natsu?" Juvia asked. She looked different from the last time Natsu had seen her. She was older, obviously, and seemed more mature. There was no doubt she was still infatuated with Gray, though, as she was never far from him. Gray thought, Natsu noticed, didn't seem to have much of a problem with it.

"Mostly," Gray said. "There was one thing I wanted to say…what was it?" Gray's grin turned wicked and before Natsu could react, Gray snapped his fingers and Natsu found himself frozen solid. HEY! NO FAIR. He tried to shout. Since when could Gray do this?! "That is for making me worry,"

The ice shattered easily after a few moments of struggling, and Natsu knew it wasn't anywhere near as strong that Gray could make it.

"Since when you can you Roy Mustang your ice?" Natsu shouted and Levy burst out laughing.

"Roy what?" Gray asked. "The hell are you talking about Matchstick?"

"Never mind, Frostbite," Natsu rolled his eyes. "It's obvious you know nothing of human media."

"Yeah, because I wasn't stuck with a human for two years," Gray shot back. "You didn't know anything about humans before, so don't act all smart Fire Princess!"

"It seems that he is not done," Juvia said with a smirk.

"Yeah, and Lucy is smarter than you'll ever be Ice Princess!"

"It couldn't last," Levy said with a chuckle.

"Juvia shall kiss her beloved good luck for his fight!" Juvia said kissing Gray on the cheek before getting out of the way of the brawl that was sure to happen. Gray simply shot her a smile and went to charge at Natsu, only to stop when he was Natsu's dumbfounded expression.

Natsu couldn't believe it. "You-she- _are you dating?"_

Gray blinked and then threw back his head and laughed so hard it silenced the entire guild. "Oh, oh you haven't changed a bit, have you? Yes, Juvia and I are dating."

"I don't see what's so funny," Natsu grumbled. "About time, though."

"They've been dating for near to three hundred years now," Mirajane said with a fond smile. "And yes, it was about time. Oh, Lucy, you didn't meet Juvia did you?"

"Hello," Lucy was glad to see that Natsu and Gray seemed to be on better terms, though she was starting to doubt that Gray didn't have some sort of power over women…however inadvertent. His laugh had sent a shiver down her spine.

"Hello, Juvia is a rain woman. Juvia must thank you for giving Gray-Sama's friend back to him," The pretty, blue haired woman stuck a hand out to Lucy, and Lucy shook it, surprised by the woman's strength. Her eyes were a dark, direct blue, and a blue Fairy Tail emblem stood out against her pale thigh.

"Ah, it's no problem," Lucy said wondering why Juvia spoke in the third person. Her stomach jittered and her smile couldn't quite reach her eyes, and she felt bad that she couldn't give Juvia her full attention. She still couldn't place that voice. It tickled in the back of her mind, made nerves dance in her stomach, and it frustrated her that it was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't _remember_.

"So what's the deal?" Natsu asked.

"The house hasn't sold yet," Lucy said and something went numb in her heart. She hadn't been home in so long…what would it be like walking on the grounds again? So many memories were in that house, it was sure to whisper things she'd long forgotten. It would be both good and bad. She might remember who the voice belonged to…but she also might remember things she'd long buried.

"That makes things easier," Gray said.

"Yeah." Lucy gave a small smile.

"Well, let's go!" Natsu started to drag her to the door.

"Hey!" Lucy protested. "Who said you were going?"

"Hey, the dude talked to me too!" Natsu said. "I want to meet this dude and find out why he thinks it's okay to pop into my head!"

"Be safe!" Mirajane called and no one made a move to stop the pair.

"Happy! Let's go!" Natsu called and the cat in question zoomed by, laughing.

"Don't get yourself into trouble!" Master shouted. "Natsu! No fire unless you need to."

"Aye, gramps!"

"Off he goes again," Lisanna said a smile on her face and worry in her eyes. "Oh, I hope this wasn't just a dream." Mirajane rubbed her little sister's shoulder.

"Don't worry," She said. "No dream could be this perfect, and yet still be so crazy."

"You're right," Lisanna giggled. "Not even the best of the Dream Demons could get Natsu right."

Gray snorted. "Like they'd wanna try."

* * *

Natsu!" Lucy said breathlessly. "How are we going to get back to the Human Realm? We don't have a car."

"We don't need one!" Natsu said. "Fairy Tail is where ever you need it. Imagine your home, Lucy."

"Imagine how it smells," Happy said resting now on her shoulder. "Focus on it." Lucy obeyed closing her eyes and trusting Natsu to guide her. Home. The smell of the gardens. The grand house, the estate, her mother's statue. The memories…her servants who were more like family than her father was. The warm memories of her mother, the happiness she'd experienced for such a short time. Those memories that lied just out of reach, of the voice that needed her.

Power caressed her skin, its gentle touch sliding against her. The wind thick with magick held them close, a mother's hug. It kicked up, became a little rougher, the wind faster, a mother's scolding. Then, for an instant, magick roared and screamed, tore against her skin, a mother's anger.

Then it was over, and the magick faded away and left nothing but a warm memory. Lucy opened her eyes and couldn't believe her eyes. There, in front of her, stood her childhood home. The grounds that extended so far were in quiet disrepair, and the house looked old and lonely. Some windows were cracked, some hung open, and ivy had started to take over the left half of the house. Natsu whistled.

"Fancy digs," He observed.

"Wow, it's huge!" Happy said, now on her head.

"Yeah." Lucy breathed. It was strange to be home, knowing that no one else was there. That it had been left to die. Natsu said nothing, just started walking towards the house. They were about a hundred yards away from the front door, and the once immaculate gardens that lined the path to the house were overgrown and full of weeds. Only the central path to the door remained. Lucy walked along the path, each step feeling as if she was stepping back in time. She remembered playing the gardens, hiding from tutors and a governess, playing among the flowers while someone…someone tall and in a suit was talking to her in a strange voice. Another man in a suit was laughing, telling….telling the first one to lighten up. Impressions of memories long forgotten flashed into her mind.

Her mother, a rose between her fingers, showing Lucy the thorns, and telling her that she needed to be careful when picking them and not to pick them all.

Miss. Sepetto, a beloved maid, winking at Lucy and showing her a hidden path in the gardens, while Lucy was playing hide and seek with…with… _with who?_ She couldn't remember.

Her mother again, talking to the men in the suits, while Lucy hid behind a grand curtain, crying. She couldn't remember her mother's words, or why she was crying. She just remembered that nothing would be the same.

The next week, Lucy remembered, her mother had died. But…but hadn't her mother died not long after she'd been born? That's what Levy had said…and she hadn't been able to remember her mother until now. Her pace quickened, more memories stirred within her. Warm embraces and laughs she hadn't heard in so long, and voices that no longer had faces.

By the time she'd reached the front door, she was running. Running from or to the memories, she didn't know. She ripped the door open; mildly surprised that it wasn't locked. It opened with a groan and dust blew out, sparkling in the sun. She stepped inside. Everything had a layer of dust on it, and it was silent. Vases were devoid of flowers, and spiders had made homes in the corners. Her shoes echoed loudly against the marble floors.

In her mind's eyes, she could see it as it once was. Full, bright flowers in the vases, dust chased down and destroyed like a mortal enemy, light and warm, clean and whole. Home. Now the carpet on the huge central staircase was faded, the once glorious wood dry and cracking.

Without thinking, she began to walk up the stairs, flashes of the servants that once worked here filled her mind, and ever so faintly, below the dust and musky scent that hung heavy in the air, she could smell the lavender her mother had loved and the lemon that was left behind from the servant's cleaning supplies.

Soon, she found herself outside of her mother's den. It was a room that her mother had full run of like her father had of his office. She'd spent a lot of time with her mother in this room. Her hand gripped the handle of the door, and before she could lose her nerve, she flung the door open, causing dust to explode everywhere. This room, more than anything, smelled of her mother. She stepped into the room, sleeve over her hand to filter out the dust. The windows let in the bright sunlight, which highlighted the ghostly sheets over the furniture.

She stepped up to what she assumed was her mother's desk, and slowly removed the sheet that covered it. The wood had dulled, but it was mostly dust free thanks to the sheet. She pulled open a drawer, one she'd seen her mother open a thousand times, and touched the black, velvet covered case that lied inside. She closed her eyes, and let the tears come.

* * *

"So…" Happy said. "When do you think she's gonna realize we're not with her?" Natsu sat on the ground, fuming at the golden lettering and that Lucy hadn't realized that he and Happy hadn't been with her since she'd started walking in the garden.

"How could she not realize that she's alone?" He muttered staring down the letters.

"I don't know," Happy said. "But you aren't going to get in by getting into a staring contest with those runes." Natsu merely growled low in his throat. How the hell was he supposed to help her if he was stuck here? Stupid runes. Happy sighed and looked at the house, hoping that Lucy wouldn't need any help. Happy again read the runes, wondering who'd put them up, to begin with:

_Only a Heartfilia heir may enter here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very much enjoyed writing this. 
> 
> I'm afraid this still doesn't answer the question of who was talking to Lucy...and I still won't reveal it. You'll have to wait until next chappie to see who gets internet brownies.
> 
> I'm still figuring out how AO3 works, so any suggestions on how to tag things and if I need to remove any tags, please let me know. 
> 
> I love hearing from you all! Kudos and comments are appreciated.


	12. A Key of Light to Unlock his Might

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that this is being transferred from FF! Sometimes I forget to move chapters over so feel free to ask. I'll let you know when it's caught up with FF. 
> 
> Also, I'm still wondering about the tags. How does one tag effectively? Thanks.
> 
> Enjoy.

She didn't know how long she sat in her mother's chair, holding her mother's case to her chest, crying because of the memories that kept flooding into her mind, like a dam finally allowed to burst. She'd shoved all this away, let her father's indifference rule after her mother's death. She'd forgotten the good times she'd had her, and remembered only the bad. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at the velvet case. Now that she was focusing, she could see the tiny dots of gold against the black, like stars in the sky, and had to wonder just what connection her mother had had with the stars. How was she able to call upon the stars for help? Had her mother been more than human, or was Astraea just in a good mood and decided to help her mother out?

Surely, a star just didn't decide to help a mortal for no reason, right?

Hopefully, whoever she was supposed to be 'saving' would have answers. She turned her attention back to the case, running her fingers over the lock; almost without thinking about it, put in the combination, a part of her already knowing what lied within. The case opened with a small 'click,' and Lucy wasted no time in opening it. Set within the velvet cushions were keys, about five inches long, and looking decidedly dusty. Lucy frowned. How could they be dusty when they'd been enclosed in the case? She ran her fingers along one and jolted back when she felt the ice cold metal. Sure, the house was no longer heated, but there was no reason for the keys to feel as if they'd been dunked in ice water.

Stranger still, no dust had come off the key. Lucy flexed her hand, and then lifted one that looked like it had an ax on the end, trying to ignore the cold. The key had obviously once been gold, but the color was dull, not from dust, but reasons Lucy couldn't figure. Had the metal simply tarnished over the years it had sat in the case? A flash of color caught her eye, and she sat the ax key gently back into its case. She blinked at one of the keys…it looked like it was brighter than the rest. She touched the key that had the slightest glow to it. The light swelled for an instant, then faded like a sigh. Heat pulsed from it, and then faded in a constant rhythm, like a heartbeat.

Lucy lifted the key, and the pulse increased, like encouragement, or a racing heart. She looked at the enlarged end, the end meant to be held, and blinked at the strange dark red symbol that stood out on the white, surrounded by metal. The metal around the white was carved, but Lucy wasn't quite sure what it was supposed to be. She could make out eyes, and fangs. Lucy closed the case but kept the strange key in her hands. She stood and scanned the room, her mouth open to thank Natsu for respecting her need for silence, only to blink at the empty room.

Where was he? Lucy blinked and realized she hadn't heard from him or Happy in a while. She opened the door and was going to investigate when the key's pulse increased a bit. She looked down at it, trying to remember where she'd seen it before…and why she _knew_ it was connected to the man who needed her help. A memory floated to the forefront of her mind, the man in the suit again, the one who liked to laugh, he was smiling, glowing, and she…she was crying.

_"You'll see me again,"_

She tightened her grip on the key, hoped that Natsu and Happy were okay—she hadn't heard any explosions—and turned away from the front stars, running towards the back of the house. Her heart raced, beating in time with the key, her hair streaming out behind her. With every step, more memories made themselves known. That man holding her when she'd hurt herself, joking with her mother, reading her bedtime stories.

Holding her when she realized her mother was very, very sick. Holding her when she couldn't go see her mom. Wiping away the tears. Dealing with her tantrum, her screams, when she didn't understand what that mean doctor had meant when he said that mommy _wasn't coming back._ She'd hit him, she remembered, kicked and yelled, bit and beat her tiny fists against him when he dragged her away from the room that held her mother. Looking at him as he wiped her tears away one last time, as he glowed and faded.

_"You'll see me again,"_

_"You'll see me again,"_

_"You'll see me…."_

_"You'll see…."_

" _LOKE,"_ She screamed, bursting out the back door of the house, the name coming to her out of the blue. The key heated, and flashed brightly, responding to the name. Her heart slammed in her throat, and tears clogged her throat. Where was he? Was he close? Trapped like Natsu? The back gardens were worse than the front ones, a veritable jungle. Was he in there somewhere? Where was he?

"LOKE!" She called again. She closed her eyes, dragged air into her strained lungs and tried to _think._ She had the key. It was dull, and she knew something was wrong with it, as well as the others. But it was responding to her, it had responded to the name, and she knew she had to be close to him.

At least, she hoped she was close.

She held the key out in front of her and tried to access her magick. So far, she'd only done it on accident or when in mortal peril. She slowed her breath, allowed her body to relax. The magick was a part of her, and she had full rights to use it. It flowed through her, gentle and soothing, like her mother's hand brushing against her cheek. The key's beating increased.

_Lucy._

The voice floated into her mind, and she recognized it as Loke's. The man who had called her for help. The one who had loved her so much when she was little and had taken care of her when her mother could not and her father couldn't be bothered to. She owed him. She _had_ to find him. He'd said she knew where he was. It _had_ to be here. The grounds were immense. There were hundreds—if not thousands—of places to hide. She could really use Natsu's help.

_You know._

She ground her teeth in frustration. She'd explored this place so much, and while she knew she'd never been _everywhere_ on the estate, there were few places she hadn't been. How was she supposed to figure out _where_ one stupid man was?

It seemed she was doomed to be surrounded by _idiots._

She sighed, and determined to do this on her own—after all, _she_ was the one who owed Loke so much, not Natsu—she tried to think of places he'd be.

It clicked then, it was so obviously simple. The key warmed again, and she took off in a run. She charged into the 'jungle,' following the paths lost to time, somehow sliding through the growth with ease. She ran into the shadows of ancient trees, who whispered secrets no one could understand. She ran past weathered statues whose eyes no longer saw, whose stone was beaten by the wind and rain, and were slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature.

Vines twisted through wild hedges, flowers left to grow were untamable, brilliantly colored, surrounded by a hundred shades of green. In a wild, raw sort of way, the gardens were still beautiful.

She couldn't dwell on it, though. She had a goal, and she needed to reach that goal. She pushed through the last of the vines and entered the one place in the gardens that seemed to have escaped Mother Nature's attempts to reclaim what was hers. No trees were close here; the gigantic circular garden had a clear view of the heavens above. Statues were everywhere, mixes of people and objects. They seemed to glow with a faint light. The key was practically having a heart attack now, and one of the statues was pulsating in response. She set the case down, being careful make note of the place she'd put it. It lay on a small stone bench, one meant for a child. She made her way over to the statue, passing several others. She took little note of them.

The statue she stopped at was a large, roaring lion, several times bigger than the real thing. Carved into its chest was a small key, the same one she held. Below the key was a keyhole. She looked at the key, which was blinking rapidly, and wondered if it could be so simple as to put the key into the lock. Having no other ideas, she slid the key into the lock, her magick practically dancing within her. Nothing happened at first, and on a hunch, she turned it, as one would unlock a door.

A golden lion roared out of the lock, fading away before it touched Lucy. The statue and key glowed, blinding Lucy. Magick exploded upwards, screaming towards the sky. The light touched the sky, and the sky darkened, turning to night. Stars erupted out of the dark, and the black of night ate the light of day. Lucy couldn't let go of the key, and she knew some of her magick was wrapped up into…whatever was happening. The entire sky was dark now, and the stars were connected with thin, golden lines, showing the constellations clearly. Hundreds were alight in the sky. Each constellation shot a beam of light to Earth, hitting the corresponding statue.

Voices shouted in joy, both male, and female, some of them didn't sound human. With a sound like an explosion, Lucy was thrown away from Loke's statue, and the world went black.

Lucy stirred and opened her eyes in time to see the blue sky returning. Whatever had happened was over now.

"I told you you'd see me again," Someone said in an amused voice. Lucy shot up and looked at the man who leaned lazily against the lion statue. He wore a suit, one she remembered so well, and his sunglasses glinted in the sun. Utter joy lit inside her and she found herself running to him. She slammed into him, and found comfort in his hug, just as she had when she was a child.

"You stupid lazy lion," She scolded remembering her mother had said the same, once upon a time. "It's about time." She felt guilty that she hadn't remembered him until now, but she had a feeling he'd known she'd forgotten.

His grip was tight, and his laughter rang out in the air. "Sorry." She didn't have to see his face to know he was smirking. "You know lions like to sleep twenty hours a day,"

"You'd go crazy if you didn't move for that long." She muttered into his chest.

"Got me," He sighed, and gently leaned her back. "Thank you, I knew you could save me. Save us."

"Loke," She swallowed. "What did I save you from? Who is 'us'? What's going on-"

"I promise I'll answer your questions," He interrupted. "But we unleashed a ton of magick, and that's bound to attract some not to friendly demons." In a smooth motion, he moved them from a full on hug to his arm being around her shoulder, all the while grabbed the key from the lion statue. He handed her the key. "I'll explain better later, but if you need me, hold out this key and call me alright? Do you remember what to say?"

She opened her mouth to say, no, no she didn't when she remembered her mother holding out a silver key, and calling forward a small, strange looking dog. "Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo?" She questioned, changing the words to match Loke instead of the dog she'd played with as a child.

The key flashed in her hand, and Loke grinned. "Exactly. The other keys should be okay now. Go back to Fairy Tail. We can talk safely there. In the case, there should be a key ring. Put the keys on there, it'll keep us close." His grinned turned wicked, and he swept her up in his arms. "Oh, Lucy! What a beautiful woman you've become!"

"Put me down!" She gasped out, startled by the sudden change in his personality. He'd never been like this when she was a child. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was trying to flirt! He wasn't looking at her, though, in fact, he was grinning at the flying blue cat that was charging towards them, and she could hear Natsu yelling and tromping through the jungle.

"That would be my cue," He set her down, gave a stylish bow and began to fade into golden stardust. "Your knight in shining armor awaits your call!"

Dumbfounded, she could only blink as he faded completely, the key in her hand flashed gold, and the temperature was now simply metal warmed by her hand.

"Lucy!" Natsu slid to a halt next to her. "Who was that? You okay. _Why didn't you come find us when you realized we weren't with you?"_

"I-I'm sorry!" Lucy did feel bad about that. She hadn't meant to, but everything had felt so-urgent, that she couldn't have bared to stop until it was over. "Everything started to happen at once, but I wasn't in any trouble! That was Loke, the guy who asked for our help. I…I haven't seen him in a long time."

"What was up with the sky?" Happy asked.

"How did you know him?" Natsu asked. Lucy sighed and began to explain the events, realizing she felt exhausted. With the running and the magick she'd used, it was no wonder. She sat on the lion statue's paws, taking comfort in the slightly warmed stone, and wondered if she could just take a nap here.

Loke's warning, however, rang in her mind. It was hard to believe that danger could strike here, but she realized they'd lingered too long. Natsu was in no shape for battle; no matter how safe he made her feel.

"Let's head back to Fairy Tail," Natsu said his eyes scanning the statuary and the gardens. "That Loke dude's right. We shouldn't stay here anymore. 'Sides, I'm hungry. Aren't you Happy?"

"Aye!"

"You didn't do anything!" Lucy protested as they began to walk off the grounds.

"Because some stupid Rune barrier blocked me! Happy and I were looking for a hole in it when it just shattered and the sky went all crazy." Natsu pouted, obviously put out that he hadn't been of any use.

"Well, thanks for trying." She said hoping to try to make them feel better. She grabbed the case on the way out of the garden, quickly putting the keys into the leather-protected key ring and slipping them onto her belt. They jingled musically and shone brilliantly in the sun. Natsu sniffed the air like a bloodhound, his face suddenly turning tense. "What?"

"Smell somethin' comin'," He said predatory eyes scanning the underbrush. "Let's move," He offered her a hand.

She didn't question, grabbing his offered hand and allowing him to pull her along. The dimensional split opened up again, and once again, she was exposed to the magicks of the portal. Only when the portal snapped closed behind them did the tension in Natsu's shoulders ease.

"What did you smell?" She asked.

"Demons. Nasty ones." He said rubbing his nose. "Can't get the smell out. About a dozen of 'em come to check out what happened. Some demons feed on magick; it was probably just a bunch of those lowlifes."

It clicked then that he meant they _smelt_ bad, not that they were seriously dangerous. "I coulda taken them," He said as if that had come into doubt. "But you're low on magick."

"And she doesn't know how to fight," Happy added and though she wanted to retaliate—she _did_ know martial arts after all!—she didn't think it would help against demons.

"It's not like I wanted to stick around and fight some demons." She said as they walked back towards Fairy Tail. "I want answers," She brushed her hands against the keys, wondering what Loke had to tell her. She still had to sift through the memories that had come to her; memories of the mother many had thought had died when she was just a baby.

They walked into the Guild together, and Lucy couldn't help but wonder if everything in this Demon world was so…easy. She'd simply walked into her old family home and walked out with someone who could give her answers.

Somehow, she knew that things were rarely so simple.


	13. A Story of the Heavens, Told by the Lion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the large blocks of dialogue in this chapter. Loke doesn't like to shut up. Also, if you're not caught up on the manga, then I warn you there are spoilers for chapter 436. (It shouldn't really be a problem now, though....that chapter was a while ago).

Lucy sat in a quiet room on the second floor of Fairy Tail. Master had told her that she could stay there as long as she liked. It was reassuring that she could ger her answers in private. While she trusted a few members of the guild, the truth was, she didn't know them that well, plus, she'd only met a handful. She didn't want the whole of Fairy Tail in her business. This was _her_ mother, _her_ past, and _her_ quest for answers. She would tell Levy and those she trusted what she wanted to when this was all done.

So why had she been sitting in the room for fifteen minutes, and had done nothing?

 _Because you're scared,_ a voice whispered in the back of her mind. She knew it to be true. She wanted answers; she wanted to know what the circumstances of her birth were, and why she'd forgotten Loke, along with her memories of her mother. On the flip side, though, she was scared of the answers. There had to be a reason she'd forgotten everything, right? Before today, her memories of her mother were vague at best. A soft voice tucking her in, warm lips pressing against her forehead. She'd always thought she'd dreamed it. Her father had never spoken of Layla, and though she'd grown up in the big house, she hadn't remembered Loke until now. Sure, she remembered plenty of servants running around in suits…but none were Loke. It was as if after her mother died, her memories had been shut away.

Before today, her earliest memory was of standing by the angel that stood over her mother's grave, wishing she'd gotten to know her mother.

How had everything been a lie?

Gritting her teeth, she stood and whipped out Loke's key. She may not like the answers, dammit, but it was better than not _knowing._

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!" She said, magick pulsing through her, and to the key. It glowed, and in seconds Loke appeared, cocky grin adorning his features.

"Hello, light of my life." He said, bowing slightly.

A million questions piled on top of her tongue, and she didn't even know where to begin.

"Loke," She said. She thought she sounded like a child: insecure, scared and in desperate need of a hug. Loke's grin vanished, and his expression softened.

"A princess as beautiful as you shouldn't cry," He said and she tried to hold back the tears that wanted to fall. Everything had gone insane in two days! She pressed the heel of her hands to her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Loke, please, what happened? Why didn't I remember you until now? Why didn't I remember the happy times?"

Loke let out a breath, and pulled a chair out for her, before pulling one out for himself. "It's a long story."

"Why is that always the answer?" Lucy asked frustration in her tone. "Why is it whenever someone tries to find out something important in movies and books the response is 'it's a long story'?"

"Because it usually is," Loke said dryly. "And last I checked, this isn't a book or a movie."

"I know." Lucy sighed. "But I really need to know."

"And I'll tell you," He said. "you just need to be patient." He tapped her nose, and she remembered that he used to that a lot when she was a kid. She supposed she was going have to get used to the random bits of memory that were going to pop up around Loke and possibly the other key's….occupants….as well.

"First, let me start with Lady Layla," Loke said suddenly serious. Grief flashed in his eyes. "Your mother was an amazing woman. She found us, the Zodiac, as well as many silver keys. Many of us had been lost for centuries. We…well we were staring to think we'd never be called upon again." Something like loneliness flashed over Loke's features, and his eyes suddenly looked ancient. "Lady Layla had been blessed by the stars when she was born, as her line had been for centuries. Heartfilia was your mother's name, not your father's. As it carries a lot of weight in the Demon Realm, as well as the Human Realm, your father took your mother's last name. It's actually a common practice in the Demon Realm, as she-Mythics are a force to be reckoned with.

"The Heartfilia line had been in the middle of a war, a war that happened so long ago; no one remembers how it started, or who was on each side. All that is known is that the Heartfilia clan was in the middle of it, and may have been the catalyst. The Heartfilia's had a treasure, a gift from the stars, which allowed the constellations to come to life and help the Earth Realms."

"Earth Realms?" Lucy interrupted.

"It's what the Celestial Realm refers to the Demon and Human Realms as, as well as the smaller Fae Realms and such. The Celestial Realm works differently than any of the Earth Realms. Only the living embodiment of stars may enter, and there is no invoking a demon into the Realm. As far as I know, no one from the Earth Realms has ever been in the Celestial Realm. Anyway, we stars were given life. It was…strange, to say the least. We'd always had a…consciousness of sorts, able to listen and watch over the Earth Realms, and hear the prays of those who looked to the stars for guidance, but we'd never been able to help much. We could influence some things; maybe whisper advice to those in need…but nothing major. I-I don't even know how we were given flesh bodies, or who did it, and my memories of life as a star…are vague at best. There are some mysteries that simply cannot be solved.

"Anyway, the war seemed to be about the keys, it seemed that people wanted us…for reasons, I don't know. Only the Heartfilia clan had access to the keys. The war lasted many years, century's maybe, but at the end of it, the Heartfilia clan had scattered, the keys hidden, and the magick and war forgotten to time. The Heartfilia line didn't forget, though. They vowed to find the keys, for they hadn't hidden them. So the line began blessing their children in a ritual I'll describe another time, and passing the knowledge of the keys from generation to generation.

"Some of the silver keys were recovered, but no one had ever found a Zodiac key. Some of the Heartfilia's began to think that the golden keys of the Zodiac were myths and that only the silver keys existed. Until Layla. She had an especially strong connection to the stars, a connection I can't explain really. I don't know if it was simply her magick…or her kindness but was able to do what no one had ever thought possible: she found the Zodiac. Well, one of them." Loke seemed highly amused now and was trying not to laugh. "She found Aquarius. Do you remember Aquarius?"

Lucy blinked, wondering what was so funny and trying to remember Aquarius. Her eyes widened as she recalled a blue haired mermaid with a habit of…being overzealous with her water. Apparently, her wide-eyed look was confirmation for Loke.

"Yeah, I can only imagine how _that_ meeting went down. Slowly but surely, Layla collected more Zodiac, as well as more silver keys. She found me, and I, I can't even tell you what a shock it was when I was called. I hadn't been called in so long…at first, I didn't even realize what was happening. She seemed used to the confusion and shock though…she explained who she was and that the Heartfilia's had been searching for me, and the rest of the Zodiac for centuries. I couldn't believe it. I thought we'd been…abandoned. Oh, and by this time, she'd met your father, and they were dating. He used the company he was building, and the money that was staring to pile up, to help her find us in the far reaches of the world. She found me in a novelty shop of all things, in the middle of a Japanese market." Loke shook his head as if trying to fathom how his key had traveled so far.

"Lucky she bought me instead of some tourist, who knows how much longer it would have taken for a Mythic who knew what my key was to find me. I was an easy one though. Pretty sure she had to take down a rich guy's corrupt company in order to get Virgo. She was a force of nature, didn't take no for an answer and had a way of making someone feel about an inch tall without ever raising her voice. She had this way of cutting even the most arrogant down to size. She didn't find us all though," Loke's expression darkened. "Pieces and Libra are still missing, and who knows how many Silver keys are still out there, waiting. It's strange though. I haven't seen either of them in the Celestial Realm either. None of us are there unless we're found. I guess we're lost in the Celestial Realm until our keys are found. I know I didn't see anyone until after Layla summoned me.

"I went back and was shocked to find Capricorn and the others…I'm getting off track again." He smiled and shifted to make himself more comfortable in his chair and drank some of the water Mira had left Lucy. "So, we were found, and I can't tell you how…good it felt to be needed again. I thought it couldn't get better. Then, Layla and Jude married. And Layla got pregnant with you…and it got better. You were so tiny and adorable. You shook your fists at me the first time I held you, and then you just…stared. We were all ecstatic. Soon, though, it was obvious that were smaller than you should've been, and, well your cries were weak at best. Obviously, that terrified your parents."

Loke stared off into the distance now, as if reliving it. Lucy leaned forward in her chair, totally enraptured in the tale. "Layla did something I didn't know was possible. Somehow,…she pulled magick from the heavens, straight from a star in Virgo's constellation, and somehow…she gave you life, again. I wish I could tell you _how_ but Virgo doesn't even know, and she was more connected to it than the rest of us. We all felt it though, that tiny loss of magick, a mere drop in the vast sea the heavens have to offer. A drop was all that was needed. You let out such a cry; I nearly jumped out of my skin. I didn't know babies could be so _loud._ You even unnerved Capricorn, which is damn near impossible. I think I even saw Virgo jump, which, again, is damn near impossible.

"I don't think any of us really questioned it too much though. We were just happy to see you healthy. A couple of us stronger spirits, myself included, are able to open our gates on our own, so we spent a lot of time with your family. For a time, everything was fine. We Celestial Spirits hadn't been so happy in centuries. Then, Layla fell ill. It started as a cold, and then…it just got worse." Loke's expression filled with grief. "It was horrible to see her so…weak, when she'd always been so full of life. No doctors could help her. No knowledge from any of the Realms could help her. Honestly, Lucy, I don't _know_ what made her so ill. All I knew was…something dark was affecting her magick. She couldn't even summon the dog you used to play with, Plue, and he requires so little magick. The magick, the dark magick, it spread across the land, and slowly but surely our gates were forced closed, the keys went dull and cold, and we couldn't force it open anymore.

"I fought it until I could literally feel my life force start to drain. The day Layla died, the day I told you I'd see you again after I dragged you away from her door, I lost the battle. A butler, one Layla trusted, picked up my key and put it into the case you found it in, along with everyone else's. The dark magick affected you as well. It lulled you into a sleep and locked away your memories. Your father…well, he was so distraught he thought it best to not try to make you remember your mother or us. I think he blamed us for what happened. I guess he had to blame someone. It wasn't like before; our keys weren't lost, just locked away.

"I don't know how I knew, but I knew one day you'd be able to free us. And you did. You opened the door to the Celestial World once more, and before that freed a demon that had been locked away for centuries by that same magick. If I had to guess, the dark magick was simply trying to lock things out of the Earth Realms, as well as between them. For the first century afterward, the barrier between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm was damn near impossible to pass through. I don't think Layla's illness stemmed from the dark magick, though." Loke paused as if thinking, while Lucy's mind was moving a million miles an hour.

_Dark magick? Freed a demon that had been locked away by the same magick? But—but that Demon was Natsu….and he'd been locked away four centuries ago!_

"Loke," Lucy swallowed and was surprised her voice had come out calmly. "If the Celestial Realm and Earth Realms were locked away by the same dark magick that locked Natsu away…then that means this all happened four hundred years go."

"Well, yeah, it did." Loke blinked. "Wait, it's been four hundred years already? Dammit, all. We keep losing time. I wish the Celestial Realm's time wasn't so messed up."

"Loke, that means I was born four hundred years ago!" Lucy shouted her heart pounding.

"Well, duh."

"Loke…" She said slowly. "I don't _remember_ being born four hundred years ago. I only remember the last twenty-five years!"

Loke's eyes widened and realization flared into his eyes. "Are you serious? You don't remember being alive for four hundred years?"

"No!" Lucy practically screamed. "Didn't you think it was odd that I didn't help you sooner?"

"I-I thought I just couldn't get through the barrier yet." Loke breathed out. "I was surprised by how easy it was—dammit! No wonder it was easy, it had four centuries to weaken. I couldn't reach you because...you weren't there to reach. What the hell happened?"

"Do I _look_ like I know?" Lucy's heart was in her throat, and her skin felt too tight. Her mind wanted to explode—how did four centuries pass without her knowing? How could she _not_ know how old she was? Yet no matter how much she tried, she couldn't comprehend the time that had passed, or understand what had happened.

"Lucy," Loke shoved his fingers through his hair in a gesture of stress that Lucy didn't remember the lion ever doing, even in the last days of her mother's life. "I knew time had passed. I knew it had to be at least a century, maybe two, but time is so hard to judge in the Celestial Realm. We don't pay attention for two days and it's like a year passes."

"Loke, how could I _not_ know that I wasn't human?" Lucy's chest ached, and she could see everything crashing down around her. "I know that it wasn't my fault I forgot you…and momma, but how could I not notice _centuries_ passing around me?"

Loke didn't answer; instead, he stood swiftly, and plucked Lucy from her chair, hugging her to him. "We both lost time, more than we ever imagined." He said in her ear. Her whole body was shaking. She'd been out of it for centuries, just like Natsu and Loke. Plus, she was still trying to process what Loke had told her. Her mother had been amazing. She still had questions, but a part of her was glad that some of them had been answered.

However, it seemed that she had more to find out about herself than she ever imagined.

Loke continued. "It's gonna be okay. You've got so many people to help you find answers." His hand stroked her hair, and she found comfort in the familiar gesture. "You're not alone. It's not your fault either. You were just a kid. No matter what you find out, no matter what happened, I know it won't be your fault."

She breathed him in and found her calm. She could do this. She was four hundred and twenty-five years old, so what? She looked damn good, and Loke was right. She wasn't in this alone.

"You're not alone anymore either," She told him. "I won't let the Celestial Realm be locked away again. I won't let the spirits be scattered and lost to time again. You won't be alone again." His grip tightened.

"I know." He said and his voice was tinged with untold centuries of sadness and soul breaking loneliness. "I have to go. Your magick can't support me any longer. Just remember, you're not the only one who's lost time." He faded into golden light then, smiling softly. She sat heavily on the chair, wondering how one dealt with not noticing four freaking _centuries_ pass. She stared out the window, looking at the green field that suddenly dropped away into an ocean behind the guild.

How was she going to explain this one?

* * *

Natsu swallowed more fire, Mira had kept it coming since he'd gotten back. Gray was out, probably making out with Juvia or something, so he was kinda bored. Gajeel had vanished as well, and even if Levy was somewhere in the main hall, he couldn't spot the small blue haired woman. Happy had flown off to talk with Carla. Apparently, four hundred years had finally worn Carla down and she and Happy were dating—in the loosest sense of the word, from what Natsu was seeing, but what the hell did he know about Exceed relationships? They were flying, talking magickal cats, but at the core, they were still _cats_ and he didn't know anyone who really understood those finicky creatures.

Laxus was AWOL, so Natsu couldn't pick a fight with him. Gildarts had probably vanished for this century, so who knows when he'd be around. Erza and Jellal were in a fierce sword fight—since when could Jellal use a sword?—and though Natsu liked a good battle, he was not a complete idiot. He couldn't wield a sword and fighting Erza as a newbie swordsman was suicide.

Interrupting her spar with her boyfriend? Absolute death wish.

Natsu, contrary to popular belief, did not have a death wish.

Hell, Elfman had snuck out too, which was no easy feat for a man of his size. With his normal sparring buddies, MIA Natsu had scanned for substitutes but no one worth his time was in the guild. Even Nab had vanished from his post by the job board. Max, Warren, and even freakin' Vijeeter were missing too.

Natsu had a sneaking suspicion that _someone_ had told the fight-prone members of the guild not to seek out a battle because of his weakened state. Instead of tempting fate—and Erza and Mirajane's wrath—they'd taken themselves right out of the equation. He growled to himself. Yeah, he wasn't at the top of his game, but he wasn't an invalid. He could fight. He _wanted_ to fight. He needed to get his muscles back into working order, his magick levels back up. He couldn't do that sitting idle like this. He'd go insane. He missed them so freakin' much. He had _mourned_ them, thinking that while they may still live, he'd never get to see them again.

Dark for his normally optimistic thoughts, but he'd been over halfway through his third century of imprisonment, leaning towards the fourth, and figured that the black magick had won. He'd beaten Zeref—and that hurt more than anyone could know—only to be locked away by a dark piece of his friend and having the watch the years tick by. No way out, and no way for anyone to find him.

He'd never been so happy to see Levy before that day she'd walked in behind Lucy, claiming allergies were the reason for her watery eyes and thick voice. While Lucy had run to the bathroom for some meds, she'd looked right at him, and in a voice that shook, her little body trembling, she'd said:

" _We finally found you_."

Natsu had never been so ashamed of his thoughts. How could he think that they would give up? That they would fail? This was Fairy Tail. But until that moment that Levy walked into the door, he'd figured himself a goner. He'd been so surprised to see her, it had taken him more than five minutes to respond, by that time, Lucy had returned and he'd had to wait for Levy to be alone again to speak with her.

It was then he knew he'd have to find a way to store his energy and break out of the damn prison. He'd waited too long.

He'd only needed Lucy to say his name, and finally, finally, he'd broken out of his pocket realm, and into the Human Realm.

He had to say, it was a damn good strategy and it still involved breaking stuff. How perfect.

Now he was home, and it felt so _right._ The inner turmoil that had dogged him since he'd woken up in his prison was finally gone and he'd finally recognized what the emotion that had been dogging him was—guilt. Guilt fighting the loyalty a part of him still held for Zeref, because _dammit,_ they didn't understand. They couldn't. They only saw the evil Zeref. The one that wanted to bring the fall of the Realms. He still saw his best friend.

***S***

His brother.

Of course, the rest of Fairy Tail didn't know the blood tie that linked him so tightly to Zeref. It had never come up. They'd been separated at a young age, so young that Natsu had only blurry memories of his brother. When they'd met again, nearly two centuries after the split, he hadn't even recognized his brother. His brother, however, had recognized Natsu and had explained who he was. They'd gotten close again, forming a new bond. It probably wasn't the same as when they were children, after all, Zeref didn't need to babysit a child and Natsu sure as hell didn't want to be babysat. They formed a mature relationship—well, as mature as Natsu ever was. Besides the hair color difference—Zeref's hair was black as night—their personalities differed as well. Zeref was softer, a bit of a crybaby, and not nearly as bold or loud as his younger brother was.

He'd been known as Zeref's number one general, a general to an army of no one, Natsu thought with amusement. The 'general' thing had kinda been a running joke between the two brothers, and one that had come true when Zeref tried to get equality in the world. Tried to get the different….'species' of Mythics to coexist, not only with each other but with humans.

It had been subtle as first, but Zeref's goals began changing, until he no longer believed in equality, until he no longer saw the value of life. His brother had Death magick, a curse he refused to use, which is why he'd become a sorcerer. With the changing philosophies, came the overzealous, _giddy_ use of the Death Magick. But sometimes, right when Natsu was about to fight his brother, stop the madness, his brother—the _nice_ one—would come back, tears and horror in his eyes.

And Natsu couldn't end the brother who'd cared for him, who'd cry when a small wave of Death went out before he could control all of it, and killed a bird or a deer. Couldn't kill the gentle soul that wanted nothing more than to unite Mythics, to stop persecution.

Zeref had become his own worst enemy by the end. Natsu knew, he _knew_ beyond a doubt that his brother had been thankful when he'd ended his reign of terror, but Natsu would never be able to forgive himself for taking his older brother's life. He knew Igneel, the dragon that had raised him he'd been separated from Zeref, would tell him that it was necessary. His brain knew that already…his heart...

***S***

Well, not so much.

Shaking his head, he _really_ wished he had someone to fight. It kept thoughts like that away and gave him something else to focus on. He didn't want to think about the past. It couldn't be changed. There was no point. Deciding to _do_ something rather than just sit there, stewing in dark thoughts, he sent a wave and a smile to Mira and headed upstairs. Surely, by now Lucy had her answers.

And if she didn't, maybe he could pick a fight with that lion dude. He was _bored._

The sounds of harsh crying reached his ears. Natsu ran a hand through his pin— _salmon_ —hair—noting that it needed to be trimmed—and wondered what the hell he was supposed to do now.

* * *

Lucy didn't know when the tears started flowing, or what thought caused them. Maybe it was just the last two days catching up with her, or maybe grief over losing her mother had finally reared its ugly head. All she knew was she was leaning against the wall, just under the window, with harsh sobs ripping from her chest and her body quaking from the force of them. Some girls cried pretty. Some could cry like actresses in movies—perfect tears running from their eyes, little sniffles and harsh indrawn breathes expressing the correct emotions, and still look beautiful.

Let it never be said that Lucy Heartfilia was a graceful, movie-actress worthy crier.

She knew her face was probably red and that her tears were fat and rolled down her cheeks in jerky motions. A crying headache brewed, but she couldn't stop the tears or the rough sounds she was making. She was thankful that Fairy Tail was loud and that unless someone was standing close to the door, they wouldn't be able to hear her. It was just too much. How could _anyone_ be expected to deal with so much in such little time? She'd believed herself normal—well, as normal as an ex-heiress, runaway could be—and was discovering that she probably wasn't even considered 'normal' in the Demon Realm.

What the hell was 'normal' and why did people want to achieve it so freaking badly?

Right now, though, she kind of wished she were normal, even if it was 'normal' by Mythics' standards.

"Luce," A deep voice resonated through her, and for some reason, she cried harder. She tried to tell him to go away, but it came out garbled. A two-year-old would understand her, but certainly not Natsu. She heard a sigh, and the next thing she knew she was in someone's arms. Natsu's arms. They banded around her, allowing her face to press against his shoulder, and her hands to grip tightly to the vest top he wore. She was curled into him, and he was curled around her.

He said nothing. Gave no "there there's," didn't pat her head and tell her it was going to be okay, didn't ask what made her upset. He only held her, his warm body a comfort. He did, however, run his fingers through her hair with one hand, while the other made slow, soothing circles on her back. Eventually, she ran dry, but she didn't pull away from him, and he made no attempts to push her back.

"Thank you," She said. _For being there. For holding me. For not running from a crying girl like most guys would. For being you._

"Don't mention it," He said and she nearly jolted away in her surprise. She'd never heard his voice sound so….angry. It was like a growling animal!

"What's wrong?" She asked, almost afraid to pull back and look at his face.

"That lion bastard made you cry," He bit the worlds out. "He was supposed to give you answers, not make you cry!"

"Natsu," She swallowed, her throat raw from crying, her head aching a bit. "Loke didn't mean to make me cry. He told me what I needed to know. It's not his fault the answers to my questions made me cry. He, he told me about my mom, and it just…kinda hit me. On top of…some other things he told me, and everything's that's happened in the last few days…well, I guess I just needed to let it out."

"So…he _didn't_ make you cry, his answers did? How the hell does that make any sense?" Natsu's anger had lessoned, confusion taking his place.

"It was just a bit overwhelming Natsu," Lucy said. "Surely you know girls only cry when things pile up on them, right?"

"So I can't kick his ass?" Natsu asked and Lucy sighed.

"No, Natsu." She told him. He had a bit of one-track mind sometimes.

Natsu let out a frustrated groan. "I think Mira and Erza made my sparring partner's vanish. I was so bored down there, 'cause I know Mira wouldn't let me go on a job. So I came up here. Lucy, do, you, um…wanna talk about it? I mean, what did you learn. It can't _all_ be bad, can it?"

"It wasn't _bad,_ " Lucy corrected. "just overwhelming." She'd deal with the issue of Natsu's vanishing sparring partner's later. Deciding that Natsu of all people deserved to know what was going on, she told him every bit of what Loke had told her. As she was still wrapped in his arms—really, it felt good to be there—she couldn't see his face and figure out if he was really listening or if he'd fallen asleep because he made no comments.

When she was done, she felt purged. It was as if the crying jag had lifted most of the stress of her shoulders, and talking to Natsu—whether he was listening or not—had lessoned it even more.

"What the hell is up with everyone losing four centuries?" Natsu asked, proving he was listening, if only at the end of the explanation. Lucy let out a dry laugh.

"I wish I knew," She told him, trying to resist the urge to play with the hair that splayed over his neck. It was obviously longer than he normally wore it, but she couldn't help but like the length. She'd thought it before, and she thought it again, _damn_ it looked good long.

"We'll find out why you lost so much time Luce," He said and she realized she'd never actually been close enough to a guy to feel his voice vibrate through his chest. "And what took your mom from you, 'cause I don't think it was…my fight."

"I agree," She said quickly, hoping to curb any dark thoughts in his head. He had enough guilt and grief; he didn't need to add her mom's death to it. "If it had been the fight, I think there would have been a lot more illnesses and death. Not just my mom. Something else must have done that."

His body seemed to relax, and she hoped he didn't feel too much guilt for locking the Realms—it hadn't really been his fault anyway. He couldn't have stopped the last waves of Zeref's dark magick. He'd been imprisoned, unable to help himself, let alone stop the evil magick spreading across the Realms.

He didn't answer, and she realized he'd been holding her a good long while now and hadn't made a move to push her away. Neither had she made a move to get away. He felt warm and safe, and she thought he wasn't as thin as he'd been when he'd broken out. Did demons recover from that kind of thing faster? Or was her magick still working in him?

Speaking of, she wondered if that little jolt of magick he'd given her was still in her. Did that kind of thing fade?

She thought about asking, and then decided she simply didn't have the mental capacity to deal with what might be a long-winded explanation, assuming Natsu knew the answer. Natsu sighed, and finally leaned back, gently moving her away from him. They were still close, though, his forehead was nearly touching hers, and a smile graced his lips.

"We'd better get you home." He said. "Mira mentioned that you might wanna rest, and like, do those chores you're so weird about."

"I, I should explain what I learned, though," Lucy said though the temptation to go home was strong.

"Ice freak's missing, metalhead is probably making out with Levy, Laxus, and his fan club are gone, as well as a lot of other people. I'm pretty sure Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka are gone too. Plus, Mira would kick my ass if I let you try to explain everything when you've obviously been crying." Natsu swallowed and closed the gap between their foreheads. "And it…takes a little time, to realize just how much time you've missed…"

Lucy knew he was talking about himself too, but didn't push it. Natsu was more a man of action, words were tough for him. He'd rather show he cared by dragging her home but made the effort to try to avoid doing so. Though she knew if she'd argued much harder, he'd say to hell with talking and just take her home, probably with her thrown like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.

"Yeah, home sounds nice." She said realizing that she wanted nothing more than her bed. He stood so quickly she nearly face planted on the ground.

So much for a good moment. He'd probably been dying inside wanting to move around. He didn't like staying still much.

"Let's go then!" He shouted. She wasn't sure how he made going home sound like an adventure, but she supposed that was just a part of Natsu.

She had a lot to learn about this crazy Demon Realm, and the world she'd been ignorant too for four centuries, but she highly doubted any of it would be boring.


	14. The Mythic Version of Normal

It was actually easy to get out of the building. One look at Lucy's tear streaked face told everyone she wasn't up to talking at the moment, and from the giant wet spot on Natsu's shoulder—which was slowly steaming away—whatever she'd learned had been…shocking, to say the least. Mira sent them home with a little wave, and with most of Natsu's sparring buddies still AWOL, there was no one to distract Natsu. They made it home quickly, with the two of them walking in silence down the deserted lane. It was…surreal, being back home, Lucy thought. Nothing had changed, though why she expected anything to change in two days she wasn't sure. It just felt like she'd been gone for such a long time. Her mind was full of things she couldn't begin to process, her head hurt from crying, her eyes felt itchy and irritated, and she just wanted to sleep. She didn't care it was only late afternoon. She'd had enough, and simply wanted to escape for a little bit. She'd used a lot of magick today, and felt a little hollow inside because of it, felt a dragging at her limbs, and an exhaustion usually associated with physical activity. Obviously, she needed to train with her magick, so it would stop feeling as if she'd run up a marathon every time she used it.

She hadn't eaten since breakfast, but couldn't find her appetite.

And wow, she was super whiney and bitchy in her head. She was glad Natsu couldn't hear what was going on in her head; he'd call her a wimp for sure.

She unlocked her door, barely registering the action. Natsu hadn't spoken a word since they'd left, she'd even peeked over at him a few times to make sure she hadn't been zoning out on him. She started for the bedroom, but Natsu grabbed her arm and tugged her towards the kitchen.

"You need to eat," He said. She swallowed her protests, knowing he was right. He opened the fridge and pulled out some of Gajeel's special soup. He plopped it unceremoniously into two bowls—after opening every cupboard and refusing to let her tell him where the bowls were—heating both of them up with his hands. As they were hardy ceramic bowls, Lucy wasn't worried about them cracking from the heat. He had to dig around a bit for spoons, but found them rather quickly.

"Thank you," She said her throat feeling a bit raw, her voice a bit thick and rough. He shrugged.

"You took care of me," He said and set to devouring his bowl. She frowned at the food, her appetite still avoiding her. "Eat." She looked up into imploring greenish eyes and sighed.

After the first few bites, her stomach snarled at her for more. Natsu snickered. She glared and then grinned.

She finished her bowl before he did, eating at a pace that had even Natsu raising an eyebrow. A burp escaped her before she could stop it, her face turning red. She said 'excuse me' in a tiny, embarrassed voice. Natsu stared at her for five full seconds before he was nearly on the floor with laughter.

"It was just a burp!" She protested. For some reason, he laughed harder.

"I-oh god," Nearly breathless, he calmed himself. "Geez, you hang out for two days and our bad habits are already rubbing off on you. You lived here for two years, and I never once heard you burp. You always covered it, and said 'excuse me' even when no one else—'cept me—was in the house." He grinned, his head cocked slightly to the side, his canines clear even though his jaws were locked closed, and merriment dancing in his eyes. It was a grin she'd come to call the Dragneel Grin, and she wondered why a grin she'd seen a couple times before made her heart jump this time.

She blamed it on exhaustion.

"Whatever," She said inclining her head in a way that she didn't know struck as regal. Natsu had to smother more laughter—really; Lucy acted like a princess sometimes, when really she was anything but. She yawned then, so hard her jaw cracked.

"Bedtime," She muttered, standing and stretching. She flicked a glance at her calendar—which hung on the fridge—noting that she didn't have any martial arts or yoga until next week. Natsu picked up the bowls and she heard them crash into the sink as she walked out of the room. She'd scold him for that later. They were ceramic, not adamantium.

She peeled off her clothes and put on baggy PJ's. She glanced at the clock. Five in the afternoon. She didn't care. She threw back the covers, grabbed the stuffed animal she used to sleep with as a child that held a place of honor on her bookstand, and crawled into bed. She pulled the covers over her shoulders, sticking her face between the two pillows, effectively burying every part of her except for a tuft of blonde hair that spread out on both of the pillows.

She was out in moments.

* * *

Dreams were rare for her, she usually enjoyed pitch black until morning, with the occasional random situations her brain thought up when she was semi-awake, keeping her entertained until she fully woke or the alarm went off.

This time, however, she dropped off into dreamland.

And she had to wonder if it was dreamland or her own brain that was messed up because the dream made no sense.

At first, it was just voices. Hundreds of them, some familiar, others foreign, others tugged on her memory, as if she should remember, but couldn't. They echoed, some shouted, some cried, others laughed, and there were a few whispers under the dull drone of the voices that were talking—as most of them were.

The voices faded slowly, leaving her in nothingness. Then— _bam_ —there was color, background, and people, quicker than she could blink. She was back at her childhood home, in a proper dress, surrounded by party guests. People were greeting her, smiling politely, while schemes boiled in their eyes. Schemes for money and power.

All easily reached if they married the daughter of one of the richest businessmen in Fiore. There was something missing, though. Her suitors, the ones her father deemed worthy of her title, had always been a little sly, bringing her small gifts, tokens of their affections. These men, they brought no tokens, and they seemed older than what her father usually brought around.

"Lady Layla," Someone behind her intoned, and she turned, her body moving on its own. She wanted to say her name was Lucy. She was Layla's daughter. But a laugh came out of her mouth, and she realized with a jolt that it wasn't _her_ laugh. Or, at least, not quite. It was as if she was seeing out of another person's body, but she had no control. No say in what was going on. Her lips curved in a smile, a genuine one, as she greeted the man behind her.

Lucy blinked at the man—he wasn't exactly a _man._ He wore a suit, tailored perfectly…but he was a bipedal goat. He had hands and wore sharp sunglasses, but he was still a _goat._

 _Capricorn._ The name whispered in her head, and she remembered that this was the…man…that Loke had told to loosen up in one of her memories.

"Capricorn," Lady Layla spoke, and it was still weird not knowing what was going to come out her mouth next. She was in the situation, but a step back. She couldn't read her mother's thoughts. Couldn't tell what party this was, what was going on or if she—Lucy—was even born yet. "What, did you lock Loke up in a room somewhere?" A faint smile appeared on Capricorn's face, as if the idea amused him.

"Nooo, my Lady," Capricorn intoned, his voice proper except for the light _bahhh_ he tended to add to some words. "He is…entertaining some of the female guests."

Lucy's head turned—wait, her mothers' head turned—whatever the case, she was now looking over at Loke, who was indeed in the middle of a group of ladies, looking immensely pleased. Layla laughed lightly.

"He never changes," She commented, looking back at Capricorn. "Did you check on Lucy? I hate not being able to leave to do it myself." Huh, so she _was_ alive during this time period.

"Yes," Capricorn said. "She is sleeping so _uun_ dly." There it was that weird _bahh_ again.

"That's good." Layla shook her head. "She's such a good baby. I never thought she'd sleep so well, for one so young."

"I believe the skylight helps," Capricorn said. "When she does wake, she sees the stars. I know Lyra has sung her baaack to sleep a time or two."

"You all spoil me," Layla stepped over to Capricorn, taking his arm in hers. She'd never seen someone so smoothly tuck a woman's hand into the crook of his elbow, and look so natural doing it. Even her father, the king of propriety, looked a little awkward situating a woman's arm, and often walked to fast for the woman to keep up. It was the proper way to escort a lady, and Lucy had much preferred it to hand holding. Something about it struck her as romantic, and showed the man was gentleman.

Unlike her father, Capricorn kept a pace that Layla could easily keep up with, despite him being much taller. No one seemed surprised that a goat was by Lady Layla's side, instead of her husband, but Lucy reasoned that her father might be at another event, or entertaining some investors in his office for privacy. Her mother must use Capricorn as an escort often.

Besides, this was a dream. She wasn't sure why she was analyzing it. She realized she'd floated out of her mothers' point of view, but was still drifting nearby. She was glad she could move on her own now. It was strange not being able to move the way she wanted. Capricorn was the perfect gentlemen, she realized. Hell, the goat was easily the most proper man in the room. He was a bit stiff, obviously formal, but under it all, it was obvious he cared for her mother, and it showed whenever he would warn a man away, or subtly signal the bodyguards around the room to remove a guest that had gotten too rowdy or pushy towards Layla—or any woman in the room, really. His focus, however, was always on Layla.

 _Loyal._ The word echoed in her mind. She didn't know where or how her mother had found his key, but whatever had happened, Capricorn obviously hadn't forgotten. Loke either, Lucy realized. She touched her belt, where her keys hung, and realized she had a lot to live up too. Her mother had obviously treated them well, and they might not be too keen on a new…holder, she supposed was the term. She'd have to summon them all, learn their names, personality, and figure out if they still wished to be with her.

The problem was, even they didn't Lucy didn't know who to give their keys too. She didn't know if the keys only worked for her and the Heartfilia line, or if anyone could use them. Plus, she wasn't just going to give the keys to just anybody. Someone might not treat them right.

Suddenly, the party faded, and the voices returned. A whirlwind of colors, shapes, voices and flashes of places she recognized spun around her before the voices faded away, the shapes vanished, the places were unrecognizable and the colors turned to white. The white shrunk into glowing pinpricks—stars—and black spread out around them.

The stars were brilliant, shining brighter than she'd ever seen before. The night was like velvet, holding her close.

Soft, safe, secure.

Her eyes found the constellations out of habit. Soft grass tickled her arms, and the night air had the slightest of breezes. She felt…small. Her chest was flat, her hair shorter, and the trees around her seemed taller than they should be. She was child, but she felt no panic, didn't wonder about the age change. Why should she? She was a kid, it didn't matter. Her thoughts were of magick, of fairy tales, puppies and kittens, the things that little girls' were supposed to think about. But her thoughts also consisted of the lessons she'd been taught. History, math, the beginnings of business.

Boring.

No, much more interesting were Loke's basic lessons on combat, Capricorn's meditation techniques that he assured would help her magick levels rise.

The twinkle in her mothers' eyes when she pressed a finger to her lips and winked, assuring Lucy that her mother would keep quiet about the mud on her clothes, the bruises on her arms and legs, and the other evidence that Scorpio had been a little too enthusiastic about getting her into boys' sports. To be fair, Loke had joined in, as well as Taurus and Virgo.

She stared at the stars, wondering if they could see her from way up there. The ground seemed to sink underneath her, and the grass was getting taller. Little Lucy smiled—it was warm like this, held close to the earth.

It wasn't until the ground turned cold and rocky that she opened her eyes in time to see the earth close over her, blocking the stars.

The ground underneath her fell out from under her before she could scream about being buried alive, and the fall sucked the air from her lungs. It was dark, and the stench around her made her want to gag. Chains rattled, and voices began to speak again. This time, though, the voices sounded half-mad, babbling things that made no sense, some were screaming, others were laughing.

Laughing, laughing, laughing. _Laughing._

The laughter, the voices, the mad screams beat against her head, and she screamed. Light burst around her, something exploded, and she was curled on the ground, no pain from the fall, shaking with fear. She was a little girl. She didn't know Natsu. She didn't know Fairy Tail. She wanted her mommy. She wanted Loke to chase the bad people away, her father to hold her close.

She wanted Aquarius to drown them all, even if she took Lucy with the flood.

Someone picked her up, someone warm and distantly familiar.

* * *

"I got you Lucy," His voice vibrated through her chest, and echoed around her, a comfort in the darkness. The voices stopped suddenly, as if the voice scared them. She snuggled closer, her eyes drying, and her mind fading to sleep.

* * *

Lucy woke with a start, her eyes snapping open to darkness. She was curled in Natsu's arms, and she could feel magick in the air, slowly fading. A low sound was vibrating throughout the room, and it took Lucy a second to figure out that it was Natsu growling.

"Wha?" She said, smartly.

"Bad dream," Natsu ground out. "This place needs to be cleansed. It's been infected by some of Zeref's magick. Enough to take you into a never-ending nightmare. Dammit! I should have known something like this might happen."

Lucy couldn't quite process what was going on. She…she'd been a child a minute ago. It hadn't seemed like a nightmare, not until the end. How was it possible that she felt even weaker than she had before she'd gone to bed? Her thoughts moved through thick syrup, slow to process what Natsu was telling her. Fear trickled in when she finally processed Zeref's name, but she couldn't quite grasp _why_ she should fear his name or what his connection to Natsu was. A sharp pain stabbed into her head, and she flinched.

"Easy Lucy," Natsu pulled her closer. "Don't force anything; everything will come back to you soon." He was shaking, Lucy realized. From the effort of pulling her out of the nightmare?

"What happened?" She asked, trying to focus on the here and now.

"When you went to bed, some of Zeref's dark magick took advantage of your exhaustion," Natsu said slowly, as if trying to puzzle it together himself. "It was just enough to pull you in, and since you didn't know that it wasn't a normal dream, you couldn't fight it. Knowledge is power, even in dreams."

It slammed into her then, the strange feeling of the dream, of being pulled into something that wasn't right. Wasn't normal. The clarity, the acuteness of the emotions, especially fear. She shuddered, swallowing hard. She _felt_ the dark magick in the room, slowly fading away. She shook harder, realizing some of the dark magick was still slipping out of her. She felt…tainted, exposed.

"Easy Luce," Natsu said hugging her tight. He was still shaking too.

"A-are you okay?" She asked hating that her voice wasn't steady. God, she hated being the damsel in distress. She didn't want to be rescued. She needed to train her magick, her mind. She needed to take care of herself.

"Yeah," He said. "Thought the magick was going to lock me back up…" Under the casual tone, she heard a sliver of fear. Not for himself—or not completely—but the fear of leaving his friends behind again. He'd just come back, and Lucy was sure that neither Natsu nor his friends wanted to lose each other again. "Or that I wouldn't be able to break the spell on you." Natsu finished. "The magick was pretty wimpy, though."

"Is…is it safe to stay here?" Lucy asked. Would she have to move?

"Yeah, for tonight," Natsu said leaning back into the pillows and stretching out his legs. She adjusted, sliding her legs out with his and hoping he couldn't see her blush—he was only wearing boxers. She felt hot, embarrassed, but Natsu didn't seem to think their position was inappropriate. The stars knew her father would have a heart attack if he saw her lying in bed like this with a man she wasn't married too.

A man that wasn't a man. Or not totally.

"We can cleanse it in the morning," Natsu said sounding half-asleep. "It's simple, and I don't know why none of us thought to do it. Idiots, all of us."

"To be fair, there was a lot going on," Lucy muttered. A part of her was still freaking out about being so close. Even when he'd slept in her bed before, they hadn't been…so wrapped up in each other. He'd just flopped over her in the night.

"Yeah…" Natsu yawned and his breathing deepened into sleep. Wiggling into a better position, Lucy told her brain to shut up.

After the scare she'd had, being held while she slept was a comfort.

Of course, the _downside_ of sleeping with a guy—or maybe it was just Natsu—was that one invariably woke in a strange, often compromising position. Somehow, they'd flipped during the night. Natsu was now sprawled over her, his head tucked into her neck, his arm—which was surely so numb by now it might just fall off—had managed to get under her, and she could feel his fingers twitch just under her shoulder blade. His other arm was next to him, and she wondered how well he would deal with being left handed if his right arm refused to work after being stuck under both of their weights for god only knew how long.

His legs were sprawled on either side of her hips, and she knew her face was probably beat red. God, did the man have no shame? Or any sense of personal boundaries? Did he even know how….blatantly sexual this was?

"Enjoying yourself?" Lucy barely suppressed her shriek. Gray, looking like the cat who'd just won all the cream and fish he could eat for the rest of his life, was leaning against the doorframe, and she could barely see him over Natsu's bulk.

"Get him off of me!" She said not caring if she woke Natsu up.

"Oh, and ruin the fun?" Gray's smirk widened, she could see that much.

"Gray Fullbuster, if you don't get him off me right now-"

"What is Ice Freak doing here?" Natsu suddenly asked sounding annoyed.

"Levy freaked the hell out this morning, saying that no one had cleansed this place. So Juvia and I decided to come over and see if you needed help."

"Gray-sama, are Lucy and Natsu still cuddling?" Juvia called from somewhere else in the house.

"Oh yeah," Gray called back.

"Should Juvia take a picture?"

"A woman after my own heart," Gray laughed. "Nah, Natsu's awake. He'd burn the thing before you could get it into focus."

"Get off of me!" Lucy demanded. Natsu groaned and rolled off, glancing at the clock.

"At least you had the decency to wait until nine." He muttered. Lucy shot out of the bed, ignoring Gray, who was snickering, grabbed some clothes and locked herself in the bathroom.

"My arrrrm," Natsu whined poking it with his left hand. The pins and needles had started, and his hand felt like it was three times its normal size. It was hard to move it.

"Man, this is like Christmas." Gray was still leaning against the door, hands in his pockets, merry grin on his face.

"Shut it, Elsa," Natsu muttered.

"Who the hell is Elsa?"

"Never mind. You know nothing of human pop culture."

"Do you even know what 'pop culture' _means_?"

"Boys," Juvia reprimanded. "Natsu-san, did anything bad happen here last night?" She slapped a hand over Gray's mouth before he could make a smart comment.

"Lucy nearly got pulled into a never-ending nightmare," Natsu ground out, wondering if it would be easier to just chop his arm off instead of trying to revive it.

"Damn." Gray sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Why didn't anyone think of cleansing this place?"

"I don't know." Natsu was glad he could feel up to his elbow now. "Probably 'cause we slept here the night before we went to Fairy Tail and nothin' happened."

"At least no one was hurt," Juvia commented and Natsu grunted in agreement. Would his arm please just cooperate?

"We'll help you cleanse it," Gray said. "But I want breakfast afterward."

"We have some leftovers from in the fridge," Lucy said. She'd calmed herself down in the bathroom and was determined not to be embarrassed. "We'll eat afterward. How are we supposed to cleanse this place?"

"It's pretty simple," Gray said. "Juvia and I have done it before."

"So have I," Natsu said standing up and pulling clean clothes out of a drawer. Lucy frowned, wondering when he'd done that. He went into the bathroom before she could ask.

"We'll guide you through it." Gray gave a half smile that made Juvia blush. God, they were so cute together Lucy realized. They didn't have to be touching or grinning at each other like lovesick fools for one to figure out they were together. They were both striking people, Juvia with her blue hair, and face of a goddess, and Gray his blue-black hair and smirking smile set on a face that belonged on a magazine cover. They were relaxed around each other, and there just seemed to be a connection between them.

Natsu walked out of the bathroom, flexing his hand. Good, it seemed the feeling had returned to it.

"Alright." Gray stood straight, arms crossing over his chest—which was now missing his shirt—and suddenly he looked commanding. "One person will stand on each corner of the house; we'll connect our magick, and do a cleansing sweep over the house."

Juvia must've noticed Lucy's apprehension, as she laid a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "It's simple magick, Juvia promises. Someone will guide your magick; you won't have to do much. This is just for Lucy to learn how to do it."

"How do we…connect our magick, though?" She asked trying to understand the process.

"Imagine your magick like a string," Gray spoke now, and Natsu smiled encouragingly. "Send it through your body, to your fingers, and focus it towards ours. We'll bind to yours, so don't worry about it."

"You've got this Lucy," Natsu grinned.

They took their positions, and Lucy was relieved when she didn't see any of her neighbors. She didn't know why they hadn't noticed anything crazy going on over at her house lately, but with them being mortal, they probably couldn't process the magick that had been turning her life upside down. She closed her eyes, and stretched her arms out, using her Yoga breathing to focus. She stood still, a tree refusing to bend to the winds, and drew upon her magick.

It pulsed and glowed, filling places she hadn't known were empty with warmth and power. Her keys, which she resolved to stay with her always, hung at her belt and hummed a bit in response to the magick. She hoped she didn't accidently summon someone. Realizing her thoughts were scattering, she refocused, seeing her magick as a string, slim but strong, gliding out of her fingers and reaching towards the others. The idea was to create a magick net over the house. Natsu connected first. She felt the heat, friendly and warm, connect to her string of magick and gently draw it out farther.

Gray connected next his magick cool and a bit shocking. She nearly retracted in shock. She hadn't recognized it at first. But his grip on her magick was gentle, soothing, and she managed to calm herself before she broke the connection, which would require them to start over.

Her left hand and right hand created one more string each, arcing in front of her to connect together. Once completed, she sent another string from it, arcing it over the house to get to Juvia. Juvia connected, her magick like a musical stream. Gray and Natsu connected over the house, and the magick gently lowered until the strings of magick connected with Juvia and Lucy's, creating a giant 'X' of magick over the house.

Now, the tricky part.

They had to fill in the holes with thin sheets of magick, until the entire house was covered. Lucy did it in stages, ignoring the others' progress as Gray had told her. She covered her corner first, creating a thin sheet of golden magick around her. She slowly spread out; imaging her magick was like a shield out of a Sci-Fi movie. One of those force field shields that looked no thicker than paper, yet were stronger than steel. Her imagination, due to her writing, was strong and it was easy to keep the image in her head. Gray had finished his portion; she noted when she reached his shield. Natsu nearly had his completed as well; she felt it when her shield connected to his. She spread upwards now, heading towards Juvia's side.

When she finally filled in the last of the gaps, she was feeling the strain in her magick. Basic and simple magick, yes it was. There was no complicated shape they had to do, no specific runes or symbols they had to weave into the shield. That didn't mean, however, that it wasn't strenuous, especially for a newbie. Her muscles were shaking, but the cool morning kept sweat from building up.

She followed the others' lead now, lowering the shield until it wrapped around the house like a second skin. Something sparked when the magick touched the house, and Lucy could sense the dark magick that was trying to build up strength again. Darkness began to seep out of the house, slipping through the thin gap between the house and their cleansing spell, looking for a crack. Lucy bore down. She would _not_ be the weak link here. The ground rattled as the spell began to work. The magicks blended, until Lucy wasn't sure _where_ exactly her magick was, except that she could feel it twisting with everyone else's.

The magicks glowed, and the evil magick began to sizzle and break into pieces, vanishing into nothingness. The ground was bucking now, and Lucy was sure her house would simply crumble. The prison, which three days ago had held Natsu captive, formed hazily in a mirage over the house. It too was breaking apart. It had almost been gone, to begin with; the spell was simply finishing it off. The dark magick was beating against the barrier now, trying to form, trying to break loose.

With something between a dying scream and a roar of rage, the black magick vanished, and the ground stopped shaking so abruptly Lucy nearly fell. Her house was now simply a house. The prison a memory. The black magick vanquished.

The cleansing spell faded, and Lucy let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure how much longer she could've held that up. Lowering her now aching arms, she bent forward a bit and braced her hands on her knees, taking a breather. She wondered how Natsu was faring, and if they should've asked someone else to do the cleansing spell, as Natsu still wasn't one hundred percent. Neither Gray nor Juvia had suggested that Natsu sit this one out though, and she tried to imagine Natsu reaction if someone had suggested it.

Yeah, Lucy thought with amusement, that wouldn't have worked.

"You alright?" Lucy smiled at Gray.

"I'm fine." She straightened and heard Natsu's laughter echo from the front of the house.

"Juvia's checking on him. You did well," Gray's hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and a light smile graced his face.

"Thanks. I need to practice more. Build some strength up." Lucy said walking with Gray as they headed towards Juvia and Natsu.

"Takes practice," Gray agreed. He reached over and tugged on the long side ponytail she'd put her hair up into. "But you've got some natural talent." Lucy's smile broadened, the brotherly affection in the gesture had something warm spread in her chest.

She'd never had siblings before and she hoped that was where she and Gray were heading.

They rounded to the front of the house, where Natsu was sitting on the steps, and Juvia was creating shapes out of water. Natsu's laughter had Lucy's mouth curving into a smile, and as she focused on the shapes Juvia was making, she figured out why. The faces she was making with water reminded Lucy of the artists' at fairs who purposely made peoples' faces look silly and out of proportion. What were those called? Caricatures? Gray walked over to the water and touched one of them, freezing it instantly. He tossed it at Lucy, who caught it out of reflex.

She looked at the frozen face and forgot the drain on her magick and laughed so loud and hard she was on the ground.

Erza would kill them all if she ever saw that her frozen caricature face.

When Lucy calmed down, they all went inside and devoured the leftovers in the fridge, finishing the breakfast Lucy had made as well as Gajeel's soup. Looks like she'd have to go shopping and soon, but she didn't want to worry about it now.

Not when they were all in the living room, with Natsu's face beat red and Juvia and Lucy in near hysterics as Gray recounted some of Natsu's exploits when he'd first joined Fairy Tail.

"A-and then," Gray was having trouble _telling_ the stories sometimes, as he was near to doubling over in laughter himself. "The idiot decides that challenging Erza and Laxus is all fine and good, but what he really needs is a challenge—even though he's never lasted more than five minutes against either of them—so he decides to challenge Gildarts."

"Do I even want to know who Gildarts is?" Lucy wondered aloud.

"Only the strongest Mythic in all of Fairy Tail. Besides maybe Master, but I wouldn't want to see them fight." Gray said suddenly serious. "His Crash Magick is insane. He's a god, but he doesn't act like it all. He doesn't have a kingdom to rule, or an element like ice or snow to control and spread over an area. I don't know what he's the god _of_ , exactly. It's said that a god or goddess is the living embodiment of an element, discipline or skill, but unless Gildarts is the god of carefree attitude and kickass powers, I've got nothing."

"Gildarts-san has the habit of vanishing for a century or more at a time," Juvia added. "Juvia wonders if he will come home soon, it has been a long time since Juvia has seen him."

"We'll have to ask Cana when we get back," Gray muttered. "Anyway, so yeah, Natsu thought it was a brilliant idea to challenge Gildarts. I don't think I have to say he got his ass handed to him, but I will anyway, as it still amuses me."

Now Natsu was sulking, but he didn't seem to upset about the stories told at his expense.

Lucy had a question, though. "How would Cana know if Gildarts is coming back soon?"

"Gildarts is Cana's father, and Cana is skilled at Tarot cards and reading the future," Gray explained. "She knows he's coming, sometimes before he knows he's heading home himself. Or at least before he's made the conscious decision to."

"Wait." Natsu's brow was furrowed, and his head was cocked slightly to the side. "So Cana couldn't read anything about me? I forgot she was skilled at that. How come she didn't see…anything coming?"

"She tried." Gray said. "When we heard you were going to confront Zeref, for real this time, she tried to divine the future. Her cards went black and turned to ash when she tried to figure out who would win. It shook her up, but she said it was because the future was being blocked by Zeref's magick. Afterwards, when we were looking for you, her cards just kept circling around Fiore, they wouldn't pinpoint a place on a map, and when she tried to get some sort of hint of where you were, all she got was the same message." Gray looked at Juvia, and tapped his head, signaling he was drawing a blank on what the message was.

"Juvia remembers." She smiled at Gray. "Cana's cards only said one thing: 'All will be revealed with time. Patience, future seeker.' If Juvia knows one thing about Fairy Tail, it is that patience is not her friend's strong suits. The answer was…frustrating, to say the least."

"Yeah. Cana was pissed." Gray said. The conversation shifted to more humorous subjects, and Gray and Natsu were soon telling the most embarrassing stories they could about each other. Suddenly, Lucy's TV crackled to life and Levy's grinning face filled the screen.

Lucy fell out of her chair.

"Oh! Sorry Lu-Chan!" Levy's voice called out, slightly distorted. "We wanted to check on you guys, see how the cleansing went and we can connect to your TV with Warren's new invention. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay Levy," Lucy picked herself up and sat back in her chair. "We're fine. The cleansing went fine."

She could hear the Guild chattering behind Levy, and it looked packed. No doubt some of the members that had been on jobs or weren't in often had heard about Natsu's return and were coming to see if the rumors were true. Gray and Natsu had reduced to throwing insults at each other, but Juvia and Lucy ignored them and chatted with Levy. The screen zoomed out suddenly, and the entire Guild seemed focused on Levy's conversation. Lucy could hear some of the whispers.

_Natsu is back!_

_Oh man, I thought he was gone._

_I bet you I'm stronger than him now._

_This'll be interesting…_

_Natsu!_

"Natsu and Gray are always at it aren't they?" Someone shouted at the screen. "I bet Natsu can still hold his own against Gray in a fight!" Someone else called out. Natsu looked at the screen and grinned.

"Oh, _course_ I can beat Nudist Olaf here in a fight." He called out and Lucy caught off guard, snorted out a laugh. Levy and a few others laughed good and hard. The rest, not getting the reference, just laughed lightly, in slight confusion.

" _Stop it with the Human Realm references!"_ Gray shouted. "Who the _hell_ is Olaf?"

"I'll let you go," Levy said still giggling. "C'ya later!"

"See you, Levy." Lucy exchanged a glance with Juvia and the two girls grabbed their respective problems and separated them.

"Why don't we watch a movie?" Lucy suggested wondering if she would have to sit on Natsu to prevent him from attacking Gray.

She couldn't blame him though, they'd been separated so long that it was natural he'd want to make up for lost time. She could tell that beneath the fighting, they loved each other like brothers. Honestly, it was sort of daunting to think about making friends, and maintaining friends in Fairy Tail. Not because she _didn't_ want to, but because there were already so many bonds there. Already a dynamic. They'd created stories; she thought now, stories that had, in turn, created bonds, of rivalry and friendship, of brotherhood and sisterhood, of lovers and parents.

She was stepping into an already complicated interconnected web, and she wondered if there really was room for her.

"Sure, a movie would be cool," Gray said interrupting her thought process. "Apparently, I need to catch up on the Human Realm's entertainment." He looked pointedly at Natsu who merely smirked in response.

"Then you and Juvia can pick a movie or TV show that looks interesting." Lucy opened the built-in cabinets on either side of the TV, gesturing to the wide array of DVDs. Gray's eyes widened and Lucy just had to know.

"Um…when's the last time you were in the Human Realm, Gray, Juvia?" Lucy asked. Gray paused in the act of looking through DVDs.

"Uhhhhh." He looked at Juvia.

"When Gray-sama took Juvia out to see Doris Day's Fiorian tour. Hmmmm. Juvia thinks it was…1953?" Lucy's jaw dropped.

"Oh wow." Lucy laughed. "That's been a while alright."

"I take it she's not popular now." Gray mused. "I've seen a couple of these DVDs. Sometimes, in Fairy Tail, we'll watch some human movies. DVDs are a big hit in the Demon Realm too."

"Makes me wonder if they're a hit in the Celestial Realm too." Lucy laughed and cocked her head when Gray looked at her oddly. Lucy realized she hadn't explained what she'd learned yet, and she didn't know if the Celestial Realm was well known to the other Realms. "Um, the Celestial Realm is part of what I learned yesterday," Lucy explained.

"Seriously?" Gray seemed surprised. "I've only heard one other person mention it before."

"Juvia has heard rumors." Juvia's voice was muffled, as she seemed to be digging into the very back of the cabinet for something. "Juvia was told that the Celestial Realm is impossible to go to."

"It is," Lucy said. It was nice knowing something for a change and explaining it instead of having things explained to her all the time. "Loke told me that only Celestial spirits can enter and exit."

Gray, who'd been leaning into the cabinet to look at some movies, suddenly slammed his head upwards, hitting the shelf above.

Hard.

Muttering curses, he slammed the door shut and spun around. "Did you say, Loke?"

"Uh, yeah." Lucy wondered what could possibly have caused such a reaction. Suddenly, Natsu popped up from his position on the couch. "Ohhh, _that_ Loke."

Juvia cocked an eyebrow. "Juvia does not know who Loke is."

"How do either of you know who Loke is?"

"Geez, I didn't even recognize him," Natsu muttered.

"Loke was a part of Fairy Tail, before Natsu's fight with Zeref," Gray explained. "He didn't come around often, but when he did, well the ladies loved it for one, and you could count on him having some sort of information. Whether it was a lead on a Wanted criminal or some cryptic warning, you could count on Loke. While we were waiting for Natsu's fight to conclude, he came to us, said he didn't know who was going to win, but he knew one thing for sure, it would be a while before he could come around."

"Juvia remembers now." Juvia's eyes widened. "Juvia didn't talk to Loke much, he was popular with the woman, and Juvia only wanted Gray-sama. But when he came into the hall last time, he didn't have any woman. He didn't look very good; Juvia remembers thinking that he looked like he was grieving."

"Yeah," Gray said. "He looked pale. His magick had always felt weird, off. But it was strained that last time. You know him?"

"He…he and my mother were close," Lucy explained. "I played with him a lot when I was a kid. He's the one who asked for my help." Lucy touched her keys, and on impulse drew out Loke's. "Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!"

Loke poofed into existence, his mouth opened to say something—probably some smooth line, Lucy thought, before his eyes settled on Gray. Gray looked like the cat not only had his tongue but had taken his jaw muscles too, for if his jaw could drop any farther, he'd be dragging it on the floor.

"Lucy….you just made a person appear." Natsu blinked in surprise. Lucy realized that while Natsu had seen what had happened at the Heartfilia Estate, he probably had no knowledge on Celestial Magick, and therefore no idea how her keys worked.

"Gray? Natsu? Hey, Juvia." Loke greeted after picking his own jaw up off the floor.

"Loke," Gray said. Lucy wished she had a camera, and made a note to bring one when she pulled this stunt on the Guild. It would be priceless. Loke strode forward, and Gray seemed to snap out of it, grinning broadly before they clasped hands and did that weird boy half-hug that Lucy had never understood. Lucy didn't notice Juvia until the girl practically hugged the life out of her.

"Lucy brought another friend of Gray-sama's back," Juvia whispered into Lucy's ear and Lucy smiled and hugged Juvia back. The simple joy in Juvia's voice made Lucy feel warm inside.

"Hey, Loke," Natsu demanded suddenly. "Why the hell did you pop into my head? And how the hell didn't I recognize your voice?"

"I wanted to make sure Lucy didn't go alone since I didn't know what might be at Heartfilia manor. As for why you didn't recognize my voice…I have no idea." Loke shook his head, feigning hurt on his face. "I can't believe you didn't remember me!"

"Dramatic as always," Gray muttered.

Loke grinned at him. "And you love it."

"Juvia is curious." Lucy and Juvia sat together on the big, overstuffed chair as Natsu had taken over the couch. "Why do Gray-sama and Loke-san know each other so well? Loke-san didn't hang around often."

The boys exchanged a look, and wicked smiles flashed over their faces before they turned to the girls and intoned: "Now, that would be telling, wouldn't it?"

Juvia and Lucy exchanged looks, both of their faces a study of confusion before they both decided they _didn't want to know._

"Are we gonna watch a movie or what?" Natsu asked.

It was decided that, yes, they would watch a movie. Loke, not missing the opportunity, went back to the Celestial Realm briefly before forcing his gate and coming on his own power. Lucy discovered that she could feel Loke's gate open on its own, like a little tugging in the back of her mind.

They settled on a Disney movie, as Juvia nearly melted when she saw the cover.

Apparently, Juvia had a soft spot for _spots_ since they were watching _101 Dalmatians._ Lucy didn't complain. She never said anything and hid the movies in the back of the cabinet, but she adored Disney movies. The boys didn't seem to mind either, as Natsu was muttering not-so-kid-friendly things about Cruella under his breath. Gray muttered something about the puppies being cute and joining Natsu in plans for torturing Cruella. All the while Loke seemed to like the parallel love story between the dogs and their humans but had to say that puppies were not as cute as kittens.

After that, it all went downhill. Buckets of popcorn were scattered about her living room, the lights were off, the curtains were drawn, and it was a Disney Movie marathon. After they watched the second _101 Dalmatians: Patch's London Adventure_ , Natsu had asked if all the animals in these movies talked. Lucy had started listing off the Disney movies that had talking animals and Loke had nearly dived into the cabinet, demanding that _The Lion King_ be played next.

So they'd watched the three _Lion King_ movies, before switching to DreamWorks for _How to Train Your Dragon,_ at Natsu's insistence. Then it was back to Disney for _The Little Mermaid, The Aristocats, Tangled_ —one of Lucy's favorites—and more. Gray had taken one look at _Frozen_ though and glared at Natsu, recognizing the names that Natsu had started calling him, refusing to watch it because he didn't want to give Natsu more ammunition.

They laughed and cried—Loke unashamedly bawled at Mufasa's death scene, along with Lucy and Juvia but Lucy would swear upon her mother's grave she heard Natsu and Gray sniffling.

It was a great day, eating nothing but junk food—when the popcorn had run out they'd switched to chips, candy, and other calorie rich munchies that Lucy knew she'd get sick off later—and hanging out with friends. Loke and Gray had exchanged inside jokes at times, snickering at points in the movie that made no sense to everyone else but Lucy didn't want to ask.

She felt the beginning of bonds, and it became clear that Fairy Tail Mythics always had room for one more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my reviewers: 
> 
> QUESTION: Speaking of, do any of you have any headcanons or theories as to WHY Loke and Gray are buds? I mean, Loke was DYING when he joined FT. He knew he didn't have long, and that he had already lasted longer than most other Celestial Spirits would in the human world. Yet, when Gray asked him to be his S-Class partner-not knowing WHEN he might be chosen for S-Class, Loke agreed. What happened between those two that made Loke AGREE for one, and two, Gray ASK in the first place. Sorry, I just need to know. (And I may add it in, if its a good one. XD)
> 
> For now though, we're gonna keep it with the wicked smiles and a freaked out Juvia and Lucy lol. (Now has to look for Gray X Loke fanfiction because goddamnit naughty thoughts popped into my head when I wrote that and I have no one to blame but myself).
> 
> EDIT: Okay, just read a review by zadabug98 and he/she came up with a BRILLIANT idea as to Gray and Loke's bond:
> 
> "As for Loke and Gray, I think those two like had a mega-bonding experience over something extremely retarded like a mutual and crippling fear of earthworms or something like that and after hours of pitiful and extremely girly screams and wail Loke finally manned up and kicked it away or something and Gray was like "If I ever become an S-class exam candidate, I want you for my partner" and then they held hands and had a moment and Loke said yes and it was all very bromantic as Cana laughs her ass off in the background with a jar of worms in one hand and a camera in the other."
> 
> I laughed for five full minutes. Please, keep stuff like this coming. (Emotional, serious things are welcome too lol. And you can have more than one theory.) THANK YOU ZADA!


	15. A Day in the Life of Lucy Heartfillia

It never failed to amaze Lucy just how fast a week could go by. The day after the First Annual Human Movie Marathon, Lucy had gone to the Guild and had explained to Master and a tight circle of trusted Fairy Tail members just what she'd learned.

Of course, Loke, not about to miss an opportunity for getting attention, had forced his gate in the middle of the explanation, sending everyone into a hilarious state of shock. Apparently, summoning _people_ was not a common thing, even in the Demon Realm. Lucy had cursed the lack of a camera, but doubted she'd forget their faces anytime soon—Erza had looked like she'd swallowed a lemon, and Romeo had fallen out of his chair, to name a few. Granted, other than the shouted questions about Loke's sudden appearance, they'd stayed quiet during the rest of the explanation. Loke had helped, elaborating when Lucy either didn't have the words to explain, or had taken a break to get a drink.

Makarov, taking everything in stride, had welcomed Loke back to the Guild, saying he was glad his child looked to be in good health. Those who'd known Loke before the Celestial Realm had been locked away greeted him with enthusiasm and some had jokingly asked if he had any cryptic information to give them. Loke had only laughed. When someone else had asked where Loke had been getting his bits of info, Loke had merely smirked, claiming he had 'sources.'

Lucy didn't want to know.

That had been a week ago, though, and after the party welcoming Loke back, Lucy had tried to settle into a schedule to accommodate her new lifestyle. She'd bet those Self Help books on dealing with lifestyle changes hadn't dealt with Mythics, different Realms, and discovering that you weren't human. She spent a lot of time at Fairy Tail, that was no lie, but she still had to make a living, and she hadn't touched her laptop—with her precious novel in it—in too long. Her editor wanted her to have a rough—very rough—draft of the story in a month, and Lucy was only halfway through the rough draft.

Honestly, it was more an outline. The bones of her novel—the story she was painstakingly pulling out of herself, and piecing together for her dedicated readers to enjoy. Lucy had always felt that writers had _worlds_ in their minds. If her mind were a hallway of doors, each door would lead to a different place, a different world. One with different rules, people, landscapes and focuses. No two doorways would lead to quite the same place, and they were constantly evolving.

Ever since her life turned upside down about a week and a half ago, the worlds behind the doorways had taken a backseat to Lucy's personal life. It was rare that Lucy wasn't daydreaming about a part of her novel, or a world that had yet to written, defined. Lucy hated to admit it, but with everything that had been going on, she was afraid she'd developed a case of Writer's Block. There was a part of her that dreaded opening the laptop, reading what she'd written, and realizing that she could no longer pick up the threads of the story, could no longer access this particular world.

But it had to be done. She couldn't delay any longer. If she did, the story could very well be lost to her forever, and she didn't know what she'd do then. Besides, with Natsu and Happy at their little house, repairing it after four centuries of abandonment, and no one else in her home to distract her, she had the perfect opportunity to work on it.

Her heart pounding, she turned on her laptop, mouse guided by muscle memory as she'd squeezed her eyes closed. When she peeked through her eyelashes, the document was still loading, and she relaxed a bit.

The story popped up before she could react, and the words she'd put to paper—virtual paper, but same concept—glared at her. As she started skimming the words, she relaxed a bit. She remembered what she'd planned to do. Remembered her character's motivation, her backstory, the plot twists and heartbreak, the cuteness and anger. She remembered the wild ride she had outlined for this character, and before she knew it, she was clicking the keys at a pace that was faster than she usually typed.

She added more to what she had written already, deleting some ideas, expanding on others. She rejected a few characters, tucking the skeleton of their personalities and descriptions into a file she kept for just in case she needed a character on the fly or wanted to add them back in. The intro was only bare bones, the paragraph she'd had designated for one of the ending scenes was fleshed out. Some random lines of dialogue and description were scattered about. Some would fit into the story, others wouldn't.

She barely noticed the passage of time as she flowed in tune with the story. Apparently, being away for a week had allowed her muse to build up, as ideas flowed out like water in a cracked pipe, dragging her under. When she finally surfaced, her fingers ached a bit, her back was stiff, her butt numb, and her bladder full. She leaned back in her chair, cracking her back, her neck, rubbing the stiffness out of her fingers. She rubbed her eyes, which were dry and stinging a bit from staring at the screen too long.

If Natsu had still been a demon in her house, the laptop would have slammed shut hours ago, signaling that she needed to take a break. Or the air would have heated up until she could no longer stand it, and she'd make notice of the time, or she'd remember that she meant to do some chore or had an appointment. She'd have to start setting a timer or something, so she'd at least have a chance of remembering other responsibilities. She had to admit, without Natsu hanging around—whether as an ethereal presence or in the flesh—it was strangely empty in her house.

She should get a dog. Dogs needed attention. It would force her to go outside, to take breaks, to have something in the house so it didn't feel so damn empty. It would be nice to be able to talk aloud again, knowing something was listening. Her hand skimmed her keys, and her mind clicked back to the strange dog she'd had as a child. Plue. She found his key, shining silver in her hand.

She needed to talk to her spirits anyway. She'd neglected to far to do so, and that was rude. Rude and insensitive. They deserved to be summoned, to be spoken to again.

To feel needed again.

Determined not to shirk her duties any longer, she summoned Plue first. He was small, and she remembered Loke saying he took only a little magick power. The little dog appeared—a strange white creature with a carrot-like nose, which stood on two legs and shook as if terminally cold. Joy spread through her. Why had she waited so long?

Plue looked around as if shocked, and Lucy had to resist the urge to squeeze the dog tightly—he may not recognize her now that she was grown.

"Plue!" She smiled. "It's me, Lucy!"

"Punnn!" Plue launched himself at Lucy, obviously elated to see her. She hugged him, grinning from ear to ear. She gave him a quick rundown of what had happened, and he seemed to understand. Though he seemed happy to see her, Lucy still asked him if he wanted to stay with her. Plue nodded vigorously, adding an enthusiastic 'punnn' to solidify it. She promised to summon him again later but explained she needed to talk to the others too.

And so it began. Lyra was next, a pretty girl who had sung Lucy to sleep often as a baby. Lyra had nearly fainted at being summoned and waved away Lucy's explanation.

Apparently, Loke had already explained things to the majority of them.

Lucy asked if Lyra wanted to stay with her, to which the girl said yes, but they needed to make a contract. She explained that spirits needed contracts to help outline what was expected of each spirit, when they could be summoned, and other details. Lyra helped Lucy through the making of hers, which restricted Lyra's summoning a good deal, but Lucy didn't mind. Whatever made her spirits happy.

Horologium the clock was next, along with Pyxis the compass. She worked out the contracts there, excited that her spirits wanted to stay with her. She made a note to make Plue a contract later when she summoned him again. After her silver keys were taken care of, Lucy took a small break. She knew the gold keys took more power, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to summon all of them in one day. She knew Loke would be mad if she exhausted herself trying to summon everyone.

After her break, she frowned at her gold keys. She could make Loke's contract the next time he forced his gate, and she remembered that Aquarius was…volatile, to say the least. Her dream came back to her, of Capricorn and her mother.

She pulled out Capricorn's key, summoning him. She felt the drain on her magick, calculated she would only be able to summon two more gold keys at most today.

Capricorn appeared, tall, in an immaculate suit, and a stiffness to his stance that told Lucy he hadn't expected to be summoned. Had Loke not explained things to him? Though he wore sunglasses, she could feel his gaze pierce through her.

Oh, man. Had she found a spirit who didn't want to be with her anymore? Was he going to tell her that she was wasting her time? Her mother had found them, loved them, and gave them a purpose. How could she possibly be held up to that standard? She didn't know what she was doing. She wasn't as powerful as her mother. They'd known her a child, but they didn't know her now.

"Lady Lucy," Capricorn finally spoke, lowering himself into a bow, a hand pressed over his heart. She hadn't been bowed to in…well, not since she'd left her father. "It is good to see you are well."

She smiled, the doubts slipping away. No, she wasn't her mother, but she could be just as good and kind to her spirits as her mother had been. "Capricorn. It's good to see you again as well. I guess Loke didn't explain anything to you?"

"No." Capricorn frowned. "I had heaaard that he needed to speak with me, but I did not get a chaaance to speak with him."

"That's okay," Lucy smiled, finding his way of speaking endearing. She went through what had happened, and nothing she said seemed to shock him. She explained she was going through the spirits whose keys she had, giving the option of staying with her—or going elsewhere. She still wasn't sure where yet, but she wasn't going to force anyone to stay with her. At the end of it all, Capricorn merely nodded.

"You would make your mother proud." He said when she was finished. No higher praise could have been given. She beamed, a weight lifting off her shoulders. She _was_ doing the right thing. However, now that she was thinking about it, it seemed she wouldn't be able to summon anyone else today. She'd forgotten to factor in what it took to maintain a Zodiac spirit, on top of summoning them. When Capricorn left, she wouldn't have the energy to open another gate.

"Thank you Capricorn," She opened the notebook where she'd put the other spirits' contracts. "I don't have enough magick power to keep your gate open much longer. I'm sorry to cut this short, but could we go through your contract, assuming of course that you want to stay with me?"

"It would be an honor to stay with you, Lady Lucy," Capricorn said. "As for the contraaact, I only ask that if you need help traaaining, you caaall me. I'm quite knowledgeable on ways to increase your maaagick. You're doing well so far. I wouldn't summon anyone else today, but the next spirit you summon should be Aquarius. She was close to your mother. Leo maaay very well summon himself, after he hears what you're doing. It's nice to see the Heartfilia Legaacy carry on." With this, he bowed again, and vanished, twinkling like the stars as he faded.

Heart light, magick low, Lucy sat down heavily on her bed. She was learning more every day and making new friends as well. Flopping backward, she wondered if she could take a short nap.

"Someone's been busy," The bed gave under Loke's weight and Lucy felt the little niggle in her mind that meant the stubborn lion had summoned himself.

"Capricorn doesn't miss a thing, does he?" Lucy mused, flicking an eye open. He sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at her.

"He rarely does," Loke said. "I heard you were making contracts. I should've told you about that before, but I'm glad Lyra explained it to you. Mind if I write down my own contract?"

"It's okay. And sure, it's on the desk." Lucy wondered just what crazy things Loke might try to slip into the contract. He was much more of a flirt than she remembered—but she had been a child, and she doubted Loke would flirt with children. Her mind flicked into what she thought of as "writer observation mode," where she had the tendency to describe people the way she would if she were writing them.

Loke stood fluidly, his ginger hair sparkling in the sun. He moved like she thought a predator might—smooth, silent, and with an innate grace that spelled doom for whatever the lion had locked into his sight—whether it was an enemy or a woman. Doom for a woman's heart, Lucy mused, and doom for an enemy's plans. There was no doubt the lion spirit was attractive, he exuded power and confidence. The way he held himself—legs spread when he stood still, every move efficient—spoke of a man who didn't doubt himself. He had a face woman would swoon over, and though he wore a suit that hid his build, she was sure he had a strong body—he wasn't leader of the Zodiac for nothing.

But for Lucy, he was simply a dear friend. She could appreciate his male beauty, his build, and grace, but she felt no heat in the pit of her stomach. She felt no flutter in her heart. On a superficial level, she was simply a woman who appreciated a male, and she was sure his flirtations with her were on the same level. If one went deeper, they would find a strong bond, and what she hoped was a strong foundation for an enduring friendship.

From what she could see from her position, his handwriting was loopy and elegant. He didn't seem to write much before he was walking back over to her. She sat up, taking the pad from his hand and frowning at the simple sentence and signature on the paper.

"Whenever you need me, I'll be there. Loke/Leo the Lion." He said aloud his expression serious.

"Loke-" She started to protest.

"No." He tapped the pad. "That's it. I don't have any special summoning days, nor do I have any problem with being summoning several times in a day. If you need me, I'll be there. I owe it to your mother to protect you the best I can."

"If that's what you want," Lucy said. Capricorn hadn't given her any restrictions on when she could summon him either—but neither had he said that he would be there _any time at all._ She assumed there was a courtesy about summoning spirits, even beyond the contract. Loke, however, seemed to feel that there was no such need for a courtesy. She was sure he'd be fine with her summoning him for company. Hell, she was sure he'd be _thrilled_ if she summoned him for company.

"It is."

"So if I summon you to open a stubborn jar, you'd be fine with that?" Lucy challenged. Loke's serious expression faltered for a moment before he schooled his expression.

"With heroic efficiency."

"Help with my story?"

"I'll get my dictionary."

"My alarm busted?"

"I'll have you up and dressed with time to spare."

"Bad breath?"

"Mint, darling?"

"Bad hair day?"

"Better off to call Cancer on that one, but I'd do my best."

"Help with the zipper on a dres—don't answer that." Lucy groaned. Loke's grin was fast and wicked.

"With pleasure." Lucy flopped back on the bed to escape Loke's sharp grin. "I'm serious Lucy. I'll be here when you need me. Have I ever given the impression that being here bothers me?"

"Well, no." Lucy was forced to admit—he had enjoyed the First Annual Human Movie Marathon. Seeing Gray again had made him happy as well. He enjoyed the company of other Mythics—she wondered if it was lonely in the Celestial Realm or if seeing the same faces over hundreds of years just got old.

"Then relax. My contract is what I want it to be." She shook her head, signing her name under Loke's, thus completing the contract.

* * *

"Let's go to Fairy Tail." Lucy decided after a few minutes of chatting with Loke. She wanted to let her story stew a bit, and she wondered how Natsu was doing with his house. They traveled to Fairy Tail easily, as Lucy was getting better and better at being able to find the pocket dimension it resided in. It was quiet in Fairy Tail today, as most of the louder members were on jobs. She'd seen Fairy Tail like this before, a lull in the activity. There were a few older members drinking quietly, and a few were heading downstairs to the game room. Lucy suspected there was more activity downstairs, but as Mirajane was behind the counter, she decided to stay up here.

"Oh, the Thunder Legion's here," Loke said with a tone of surprise. Lucy looked over and saw Lisanna serving a man in a strange outfit, with a medieval helm atop his head. Evergreen, someone Lucy had met briefly before, was sitting beside the helmed man, and a man with long green hair. He was dressed as if he'd stepped out of a book from hundreds of years ago, with a formal coat, a slim sword—a sabre? No, a rapier—and his hair tied at the end of its length. She'd seen them around before, but they were intimidating—they radiated magick, and they didn't seem very friendly. Well, the helm dude always had his tongue out and was always laughing at something, but he was a bit wilder than Lucy was used to.

Laxus was nowhere to be seen, which was odd. He usually was watching from the second floor or flirting with Mirajane—he tried to be subtle, but it didn't work too well—or with his posse. Lucy made her way to the bar, nodding her at the Thunder Legion, earning a cool stare from Ever, and a nod from green hair. Helm boy was drinking and didn't seem to notice her acknowledgment.

Loke was caught up chatting with Cana at the bar, already laughing at some joke. Smiling brightly, she made her way over.

"Lucy!" Loke said when she walked up. "I'm going downstairs with Cana. The poor soul here thinks she can take me at pool." Loke shook his head mournfully.

"Put your money where your mouth is, lion!" Cana slammed her beer on the counter, took hold of Loke and dragged him towards the stairs.

"Have fun!" Mirajane called. Lucy merely shook her head. She had a feeling Loke was about to get taken for every Jewel in his wallet. Mira set some ice water in front of Lucy, having learned that Lucy rarely drank alcohol. "I'm going to check on everyone downstairs," Mira said smiling sweetly. "they may need more drinks. You okay over there?"

"We're fine, Mirajane, thank you." Green hair answered in a voice that was smooth and cultured. Mira picked up a heavy tray loaded with beer and was gone before Lucy could offer to help. Alone at the bar, Lucy scanned the room, looking for someone to sit and chat with. She was in the mood to be social, and to maybe learn more about the Mythic world. She'd yet to be on a job, and wondered what Mythic jobs were like. She had many questions, and with the people she was comfortable asking missing, she thought this might be the time to make new friends.

She cocked her head at the Thunder Legion. Surely, Green Hair wouldn't mind talking to her? Ever seemed a little standoffish, but she didn't have to talk if she didn't want to. Helm Dude seemed pretty easy going. She figured he wouldn't mind if she sat over there. Besides, Laxus had been nice to her. Surely, his friends would be too?

A movement out of the corner of her eye had her whipping her head around. She blinked at the object in front of her. It was a paper doll of sorts, but she couldn't figure out how it was floating midair. Magick was a strange thing indeed. She heard a shout and felt her heart sink in her chest.

Why couldn't she just have a normal day?

The paper doll began to glow, and Lucy started to scramble off the stool and away from the doll when someone grabbed her by the back of her shirt and _threw her_ across the guild. She smacked into someone, but before she could regain her bearings, something exploded. She curled in on herself in reaction; hoping shrapnel wouldn't hit her from wherever she was in the Guild. Her ears rang loudly, and it felt as if her bones were rattling from the shockwave. She opened her eyes, blinking against the light smoke that drifted in the air. She froze when she got a look at who was holding her.

Helm Dude was grinning down at her, tongue lolling.

"Well," He drawled. "I've never had a woman throw herself at me before."

"Bixlow!" Green Hair scolded. "Let her down, you brute." She couldn't see his eyes through his helmet, but she imagined He-Bixlow, was rolling them. He did let her down, though, and she looked over at the bar. The thick smoke was starting to clear, and electricity crackled in the air. Literal bolts of it sparked from Laxus, who stood in front of the stool she'd sat in mere minutes before. His face was a study in controlled fury, but he was unharmed. A crater yawned at his feet, the wood around it slightly singed. All in all, though, the Guild had suffered worse, and the repair would undoubtedly be a simple one.

Laxus's gaze settled on Lucy.

"You alright?" His voice was a growl, and Lucy's head bobbed in response to the anger she could feel from halfway across the room. He let out a sigh, and the tenseness in his arms relaxed a bit, the lightning vanished, and the pressure in the room seemed to decrease a thousand fold. Mira burst from downstairs, magick creating a dark aura around her. Her gaze locked onto Laxus. "Everything's fine Mira. Just one of Ivan's little tricks. No one's hurt." The she-devil calmed, and eyed the hole in the floor.

"I'll ask Laki to fix that when she gets back," Mira said half to herself. Laxus walked over to Lucy and the Thunder Legion and gestured to a table. His posse sat with him, leaving Lucy alone. Feeling awkward and unsure, Lucy walked over to Laxus.

"Um, thanks for that." She said him. She wasn't really sure who Ivan was…but from the look in Laxus's eyes, he knew him well.

"Don't worry about it," Laxus said scratching the back of his neck.

"What was that?" She blurted. Was someone hunting her? Was this Ivan after her? "Why did it come to me?"

"Sit," Laxus commanded. Hoping to get some answers, Lucy obeyed. "One, it wasn't after _you_. On a normal day, the bar would be packed. It'd be hard to notice one paper doll in the chaos of Fairy Tail. It was meant to hurt a lot of people, not go after a specific target. It was just Ivan's way of reminding us he's still around. Arrogant bastard. It was just your bad luck that you were the only one at the bar."

She was beginning to wonder if she had the worst luck in all of Fairy Tail.

"Mira, why didn't anyone else come up with you?" Green Hair asked when Mira came over to refill their drinks.

"No one else heard it." She said. "I was halfway up the stairs when it went off. They were in an argument. It was quite loud down there."

"Ivan wouldn't have wanted his bomb to draw too much attention." Ever said with her eyes flashing dangerously. "Though why he thought attacking so boldly would go over well is beyond me."

"He wants us riled up." Green Hair said. "He wants us to retaliate. He knows Fairy Tail has a short fuse when it comes to hurting comrades. He wants Laxus-sama to get angry, to try and go after him."

"He wants to finish what he started." Laxus ground out. Lucy looked from person to person, wondering just what the hell was going on. Green Hair saw her confusion.

"I imagine you're a little lost here, Ms. Heartfilia." He said. "For one, I am Freed Justine, and I am a dark elf. This is Bixlow and Evergreen." He gestured to each in turn. Mira, who was still around, gave both Evergreen and Bixlow meaningful glances.

Bixlow grinned at Mira, before looking back at Lucy. "She's worried I won't play nice. Anyway, I'm a Dread Knight."

"Dread Knights are undead beings that have been brought back to life," Mira explained kindly. "Most come back with a power that's a bit like Necromancy, though they don't actually resurrect souls. Bixlow can control lost souls by placing them into inanimate objects." Bixlow's tongue lolled out again, but this time, Tiki-like dolls floated around his head, chattering and giggling.

Things in Fairy Tail just had to get weirder, didn't they?

Evergreen spoke now. "I suppose I must tell you what I am as well. I am half-gorgon, and half Arthurian Fae. I don't expect you to know what that means."

"I know what a gorgon is." Lucy protested. The woman sitting in front of her didn't look anything like the Medusa of legend.

"There are many different types of Fae," Mira said cheerfully. "Levy, for example, is Gaelic Fae. Beings known for their mischief and general tolerance for humans. The Irish have many legends surrounding their Fae. Evergreen is an Unseelie Fae. These types of Fae rarely leave their forest homes and have been known to cause havoc in the human Realm for no other reason than because they can. There are many tribes of Unseelie Fae. Arthurian is just one of them.

"Then, of course, there are _Faeries_. Unlike Levy or Evergreen, Faeries are small beings that haven't been seen in thousands of years. Some say that they died out long ago, others aren't so sure. Either way, though, there's conflicting reports on what they looked like and what the nature of their magick is."

"Fairy Tail was named after those conflicting views," Laxus spoke now. "One of the questions about Faeries is whether or not they have tails. Since no one knows, it's a question that may never be answered, and thus, a never ending adventure."

Lucy mentally filed the information. Who knew there were so many different types of Fae? And that Faeries hadn't been seen in thousands of years? She touched her keys, thinking of the time the Celestial Keys had been lost, almost forever. They'd been found again, and so she was inclined to believe that the Faeries were still out there, somewhere. Whether or not they had tails was a minor detail. She just liked the thought of small, mischievous, Tinker Bell-like beings existing out there.

"Every notable scholar in our Realm has tried to explain the disappearance of Faeries." Freed spoke up and she could almost see the reams of knowledge in his eyes. "Some have a catastrophic event as the reason, others that Faeries are naturally shy beings, and weren't seen much even before they were labeled as missing. There is one thing that's agreed upon, and that is that Faeries were small winged creatures. Everything else is debatable." His eyes lit now and focused on her. "Though I have always wondered, does the Human Realm have any lore on Faeries?"

"Well sure," Lucy replied caught off guard. "Um, there's the story of Neverland. The boy who lives there, Peter Pan, his Faery friend Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys. But it's a kid's tale. A Disney movie." One, she thought now, which they didn't watch during the First Annual Human Movie Marathon.

"Neverland?" Bixlow spoke now. "What the hell is that?"

"In the story, it's a magickal island, home of the Faeries. It's called Neverland because no one ever ages. It doesn't actually exist." Lucy had always thought Neverland would be a cool place to be. Never growing up? Sign me up! No real responsibilities? Yes, please! The only real danger a stubborn captain and his crew? Oh, yes. Unless you counted the mermaids and Lucy had always thought she'd avoid them.

"Fascinating. I wonder if I might be able to watch this movie." Freed seemed excited at the prospect of new information.

"Uh, sure?" Lucy had trouble picturing this elegant, gentlemanly Mythic sitting down and watching Peter Pan. It had her suppressing giggles. "There's a couple movies focusing on Tinker Bell as well, but I don't have those."

"Freed's trying to figure out what happened to the Faeries," Mira explained. "he's made it his mission in life. He's been digging through records thousands of years old, looking through hundreds of other scholar's works."

"And boring us to death with it," Evergreen complained but there wasn't any heat to the words.

"I'd very much appreciate it if you would allow me to borrow this movie, and tell me where I could acquire those based on the Faery." Freed said.

"Man, you must be desperate, looking to human kids movies." Bixlow laughed his dolls spinning around him giggling with him.

"I think you've stalled enough Laxus." Mira said with a brow arched at him.

"Yeah, yeah." Laxus shifted and looked at Lucy. "You've probably guessed that I know Ivan. You ain't dumb. Ivan's my father, though it's a loose term considering he didn't do anything to raise me. He's not the loving sort. I don't know if you know this, but Master is my grandfather. He's the one who raised me, and I've always wondered just what the hell went wrong with Ivan that made him turn out the way he is."

"Ivan has had it out for Fairy Tail for years," Mira interjected. "Ever since Master took Laxus from him and put his foot down, he's been trying to take us out. We've had minor altercations over the years, though what he wants—besides revenge—is unknown to me."

"He wants to finish what he started." Laxus said and something like alarm shot through Mira's eyes. "Not gonna happen, and I don't know what he thinks he'll accomplish if he does. I'm not going to help him."

Obviously, she was still missing something, but from the tension in the air, and the closed up look of Laxus's face, it was unlikely she'd get an answer. It was probably personal.

"Then I guess we'll just have to take him down a peg if he shows his ugly face." Lucy said hoping to break the tension. "I may not have been here long, but I do know that no one messes with Fairy Tail." Laxus and Evergreen smirked, while Bixlow let out an approving laugh. Freed and Mira sent her nods of approval.

They chatted, with Mira moving from table to table, as a few more people wandered in. Freed was endlessly fascinated with the Human Realm, which made her wonder why he didn't just go there himself. Bixlow laughed a lot and had a loud personality she wasn't quite sure how to handle. Evergreen was a cool one, who eyed her with suspicion. From what Mira said, Arthurian Fae weren't overtly friendly, and Lucy figured she had a hard time making new friends. Laxus seemed to thrive in the chaos of his friends, either ignoring their antics, giving them telling glances to tone it down, or laughing right along with them. They were obviously a tightly knit group, but like everyone else in Fairy Tail, they welcomed her without too much trouble.

She found herself telling them of Natsu's ghostly antics over the past two years, laughing at her own reactions to having a 'ghost' in her house, and leaving Bixlow in a near fit when she told them of the attempted exorcism. She figured she ought to bring over _The Exorcist_ and other similar movies; Fairy Tail would get a good laugh out of the Human Realm's idea of a scary movie.

When she mentioned it, Bixlow grinned wildly, his dolls—which she had found through conversation he called his 'babies'—flying around her, babbling about movies. It was decided that Fairy Tail's next Human Movie Night would include horror movies, a genre they hadn't explored much. Slowly the bar began to fill, and the noise level rose. Loke came up from downstairs, looking a little sour as he bought Cana a round of drinks. According to him, his pool game was rusty from a four-century absence.

If that was his excuse, she'd let him stick to it.

* * *

News of the paper bomb spread and anger had to be smoothed out. Loke had been positively furious he hadn't known she was in trouble. She'd had to explain to him that it wasn't directed at _her_ _and_ that Laxus had gotten her out of harm's way before she could even blink. It didn't completely appease the lion, but she hoped he didn't feel too bad. Some familiar faces started to come back, with Gray and Juvia leading little Asuka between them, meeting up with Alzack and Bisca. Apparently, Gray and Juvia had been on Babysitting duty. Lucy found herself envying them. She'd like to take a crack at babysitting the little angel currently riding on her father's shoulders.

Elfman and Lisanna, a little dirty, a little beat up but grinning returned and let Mira fuss over their minor wounds. Natsu burst in not long after, Happy at his side, and it was obvious they'd put in a long day of work. Natsu's hair was wet and hanging in his eyes, instead of defying gravity as it usually did. Happy looked tired, but was delighted to see Carla, who'd come in with Wendy a few minutes before. After working on his house the last couple of days, Natsu was starting to get some muscle tone back, along with a tan. It was nothing major—it was just the start of some definition to his arms, the slightest firmness to his stomach.

She told herself she only noticed because she was looking out for his well-being, and that she was happy he was starting to regain his strength. He didn't tire quite so easily, and with some help from Wendy, his magick reserves were starting to bulk up again. His temperature no longer fluctuated, like it did on that first night, and though he had a long way to go, the Natsu she saw now was a far cry from the one she'd freed a week and a half ago. He still looked like a prisoner of war—which wasn't so far off from the truth—but he was recovering quickly.

Quicker than she'd thought he would, she noted.

A human would be in a hospital bed, with an IV, and still look pale as death. As if she needed any more proof that Natsu wasn't human, it was evident in his recovery. His eyes scanned the Guild, locked on hers. She told herself that her stomach fluttered because the grin he flashed her was designed to melt women, and it was nothing personal.

Certainly, it wasn't because she found the man attractive.

Unbeknownst to her, Laxus was smirking at his friends, who were watching the byplay between Lucy and Natsu. Ever hid her smile behind her fan. She still wasn't sure what to make of Lucy, but if the girl could handle _Natsu_ of all people living in her house for two years and come out of it sane, and then she couldn't be all bad. To the rest of the guild, the budding attraction Lucy had for Natsu was obvious. Though if Natsu returned the feelings was highly debated—out of their hearing of course—as some thought Natsu didn't even know what sex was—it was an unpopular opinion, Natsu was _dense_ , not _stupid._ Others wondered if he was asexual, and simply wanted a partner in life, not sex.

Still others—these ones leaning toward the more romantic side of things—thought Natsu simply hadn't met a girl he was attracted to yet, as he seemed to like personality over body. They wondered if Lucy would be the one that changed that.

The general consensus? That they would just have to wait and see. For now. Any meddling would happen _after_ they'd determined if they liked each other.

If Natsu was anything like Gray when it came to confessing feelings, it may be another four hundred years of waiting.

Lucy, totally unaware that her potential love life was under scrutiny, excused herself from Laxus's table and joined Natsu at the bar. Gray and Juvia were there too.

"Hanging out with the Thunder Legion? Pretty classy, you sure you want to hang with us peasants?" Gray teased.

"Oh, I think I can spare you a few moments, um…Gerald, was it?" Lucy shot back without half thinking about it. God, her father would faint if he found out she was so casually flirting with a man—and he would see it was flirting, not the harmless teasing it was. In Fairy Tail, casual flirtations seemed to be the norm, along with all-out sibling-war type teasing, brawls, pranks, drinking contests, and only the gods knew what else. Gray let out an appreciative laugh, adjusting a blissful Juvia who sat on his lap—Gray claimed it was due to the cramped bar, but he seemed to enjoy it. Natsu leaned against the bar next to her as she sat on the stool she'd mentally claimed.

"So this idiot's asking if Juvia's a mermaid and asking how I gave her legs, all the while trying to flirt with her." Gray shook his head as he recounted something that happened a few years back. Lucy really didn't know how they'd gotten into this conversation, but topics changed so quickly in Fairy Tail, she'd just went along with it. "I don't know how such a stupid Mythic has survived this long."

"When Juvia told him she was a Rain Woman, he was even more confused."

"Well yeah." Gray said. "Juvia, 'Rain Woman' is far too vague."

"No one knows what Juvia is. Undine spirits aren't famous like other Mythics." Juvia pouted. "It's easier if Juvia just says Rain Woman."

"An Undine spirit is a type of water nymph," Lucy spoke up. "They often have bodies made of water and control over vast quantities of it. Some legends say that in order to have a soul, Undine spirits must marry a human being." Juvia grinned at her.

"Yes! Lucy knows of Juvia's people!" She frowned and cocked her head. "We have souls. Juvia has never heard of having to marry a human to get one. What a silly legend. The rest is correct. Juvia does have a body made of water, and can control it."

Lucy and Juvia started on a conversation, lamenting about how legends exaggerated things or just plain made up lies.

It wasn't until Natsu nudged her that Lucy noticed the Guild had started to fall quiet as if sensing something was going to go down. She looked up and felt her stomach twist into knots and her heart sink. Fear, a child's fear, crept up her spine. Anger curled around the knots of her stomach, and she felt the blood drain, drop by drop, from her head. Shock widened her eyes.

Jude Heartfilia, dressed in an immaculate suit, and holding himself in a way she hadn't seen since he'd lost his fortune, was making his way towards her.

"Father." She whispered.


	16. And the Stars Fall

Thoughts sped through her mind. What was he _doing here?_ She hadn't seen him since she'd run away, and apart from the time she'd caught a Private Investigator following her, he'd never attempted to find her. Why would he show up in Fairy Tail? _This_ wasn't the kind of place her father would be caught dead in! Fairy Tail was warm and friendly, a place for Mythics to gather and get jobs, to make friends, but classy it was not!

But then her mind focused on something else: _Why hadn't her father told her that she wasn't human?_ If she'd been born four hundred years ago, and her father was still alive, then he _couldn't be human either!_ He should've told her! Surely, he'd noticed the passage of time? She'd been a child; she wouldn't have noticed the sudden passage of time. Kids really didn't understand time. Anger stirred in her gut. Anger for everything he'd done. He'd never told her that she'd known her mother, instead, he'd let her believe she had no memories of her.

He'd never even _tried_ to be a good father. He'd let his wife's death taint their relationship. She'd needed her daddy! He'd lied to her. Ignored her. He hadn't even told her she wasn't freaking _human!_ He'd dictated her entire life without one ounce of affection. Would have killed him to tell her that he loved her? To see _her_ instead of her mother? He'd never told her of the keys, instead, he'd left them to rot. He hadn't even _tried_ to save them.

Lucy didn't remember telling her legs to move. She didn't remember sliding off the stool. She didn't remember Romeo taking one look at her face and scrambling out of the way.

Hey, he'd been around Mira and Erza his entire life, he knew a pissed off woman when he saw one.

What she _did_ remember, however, was how satisfying slapping her hand against her father's face was. She heard some people suck in a breath in shock: If she'd proven anything in Fairy Tail, it was that she wasn't one to _start_ a fight, let alone go up some dude and slap him. She thought she heard Gray mutter something along the lines of 'you're rubbing off on her,' which she assumed was told to Natsu.

Huh. Maybe he was.

Good.

She'd never seen her father so shocked in her life. He looked…well he looked like she'd just slapped him across the face; honestly, it was probably the absolute _last_ thing he'd ever expect her to do. She tightened her jaw, thousands of words wanted to spill out but she wasn't sure what should be first, so for several long moments, she stood there staring furiously at her dumbstruck father.

"Lucy." Jude finally said. He rubbed his cheek.

"Hello, father." She snapped out brimming with rage. It burned in her belly, and she wondered if this was what Natsu felt when he charged up his magick. "Is there something you need? An escort out? A book on parenting? How can I help the man that didn't even bother to look for me after I ran away until he had someone lined up for me to marry! I think you might also need the Idiot's Guide to Telling Your Children the Truth because it's _ridiculous_ that I had to find out the truth about mom's death from _someone else._ Why would you hide this— _everything_ from me? Was I really that much of a burden? Was it really too hard to even _try_ to care about me? To love me?

"So what are you here for, _daddy?"_ Lucy figured that if she were Natsu, she'd be breathing _fire_ right about now.

Jude stared at her, his face reddened from her slap, his eyes wide with astonishment. The entire guild was silent, waiting with baited breath for Jude's reaction. Lucy didn't have to look at Natsu to know he was giving Jude the evilest stare he could muster—which, for an easy going guy, was pretty freaking scary and effective. Whatever happened, Fairy Tail would be on her side.

Then, Jude did something Lucy never thought she'd see—he smiled, gentle and proud. "I deserved this." He said his smile turning a bit rueful. "Oh, if your mother could see you now."

And with that, he promptly collapsed, his face going pale, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Sticking out of his back, pale white against the blood that stained it was one of Ivan's paper dolls.

Lucy's stomach dropped, hard, and her anger snapped into wild concern. She heard Laxus curse, viciously, violently, and with much more creativity than she'd ever known was possible. She could feel his magick crackle across the air, and could only vaguely think that she was glad she wasn't Ivan. She dropped down beside her father, checking his heartbeat.

Slow, much too slow, but there. Gray dropped down next to her, his discarded shirt useful to stop the blood. God, god, she'd never seen so much _blood._ How had no one _seen_ it? Smelled it? God her father had a freaking _paper doll sticking out of his back and no one had noticed?_ Panic rose. She'd never been close to her father, not after her mother's death, and hell yeah she was still mad at him on some level, he'd lied to her about _everything_ but she didn't want him to _die._ Gray met her eyes, and he was cool and calm.

"Natsu went to get Wendy." He said his voice steady and calming her frayed nerves. "She just went for a walk, and he can smell her. Jet went to get Porlyusica. He's the fastest man in the Guild."

Mira and Cana were suddenly there, a dark bottle of alcohol gripped in Cana's hands, cloths in Mira's. Cana nudged aside Gray's hands, which were stained with her father's blood.

Oh, gods, she could _smell it_.

Small hands rubbed her back, and a giant hand ruffled her hair.

"Wendy'll help him." Gajeel's gruff voice stated. She hadn't even seen him come into the Guild. Numbly, she thought that both Levy and Gajeel had been in the library. Gajeel had probably smelled the blood, or heard her shouting.

"Take it easy Lu," Levy soothed. "See? Cana's cleaning the wound. Gray took the doll out. It's not too bad." Lucy was shaking, she couldn't help it. Her mind refused to function, to ask the questions that needed to be answered. But Levy was right; Cana used the alcohol to rinse the wound, the sharp scent that hit the air told her it was vodka. Mira and Gray put pressure on the wound, while using the clothes to clean both blood and vodka, and someone had grabbed a stretcher.

Suddenly, Levy's hands were gone, replaced by broad, warm hands.

"I got Wendy." Natsu's breath tickled her ear. "She's ready for him in the infirmary. He's gonna be okay."

Elfman, with surprising gentleness, lifted her father up, while Romeo and his father slid the stretcher underneath. She had no doubt Elfman could just carry her father into the infirmary, but the stretcher would be gentler on him. To her surprise, Freed and Bixlow lifted the stretcher, under Laxus's eagle eye. She could still see the anger on his face, the ripe disgust in his eyes, but it was the real concern in his eyes that did her in. She turned and buried her face into Natsu's shoulder, shuddering and shaking, but no tears came, just the nasty threat of them in the back of her throat, in the stinging of her eyes.

The Guild doors opened in a whirlwind of speed, and a woman with a different shade of pink hair than Natsu's stepped in. Her face was set in a scowl, and her coat/cape thing had what looked to be dragon teeth around the collar. She marched straight to the infirmary, muttering under her breath all the while. Natsu's hand rubbed up and down her back, but when she leaned back a bit to look at him, his eyes had a bit of distance, as if he was thinking of something else.

Jet, looking only a little windswept, stood next to Levy, his hand casually on her shoulder. Droy stood on her other side, while Gajeel stood imposingly behind her as if to guard her. Everyone seemed on edge as if waiting for another of Ivan's paper dolls to sweep in and stab someone or blow up. Freed and Bixlow came back from the infirmary, and Laxus caught Freed's eye.

"You know what to do," He said and Freed said nothing, just drew his rapier and stepped outside, calling for Levy. Levy skipped after him, her protection committee not far behind. Laxus met her eyes, and an emotion she couldn't identify flashed across his face.

"Well," Mira spoke into the eerie silence. "I don't think I have to tell you all to be careful until we find out what Ivan's after. Obviously, he's starting to be active again. Freed and Levy will put a Rune Spell around the Guildhall, preventing Ivan's Paper Dolls from entering. Master is contacting the other Guilds, warning them about Ivan's activity. I suggest that if you have any friends that live alone, that you bunk together for the next little while. Safety in numbers."

Natsu's arm slipped around her waist. "I'm bunking over." He said and his tone brooked no argument. Gray's intense eyes locked onto Juvia's.

"Been meaning to ask you to move in permanently anyway." He said nonchalantly, but the blush on his cheeks gave him away. Juvia melted to the floor—literally. Elfman stood near his sisters, though Lucy didn't think Mira needed protection—Lisanna probably didn't either. Gajeel came back in, his eyes fixed on Juvia.

"Fullbuster." He called. He jerked a thumb at where Juvia was reforming. "She gets a scratch, and yer dead, got it?" Gray nodded, the blush fading from his cheeks and steely resolve hardening his eyes.

Loke stood beside her, his eyes locked on where Jude had lain bleeding on the floor.

"I'll be sticking around too." He said. "I can stay out of the Celestial Realm longer than most other spirits."

Lucy couldn't find it in her to protest, though in the back of her mind she made a mental note to kick him back the Celestial Realm if he started to weaken. Lucy swallowed hard, her throat dry as a desert.

"Why?" She asked no one in particular. "Why does Ivan hate Fairy Tail so much? Why did he hurt my father?"

"I don't know about the second part," Laxus spoke now. "But I can answer the first. Most everyone here already knows the story, guess you need to know too." He gestured for her to follow him, and Natsu squeezed her waist, and then let her go. She was surprised the Thunder Legion stayed behind. Laxus led her to a small room near the infirmary, and she sat gratefully in one of the plush chairs. The shock was fading, and dammit, she needed answers. Talking about Ivan would get her mind off the image of her father, lying deathly pale against the warm worn wood floor of the main hall.

It had damn near seared itself into her brain.

Laxus didn't sit, but paced in agitation. He obviously didn't want to tell her, but felt she had a right to know—after all, his father had almost killed hers. Mira walked in, and Laxus shot her a grateful look. She set down some refreshments and settled down next to Lucy.

"I figured I'd come in to help," She told Lucy softly. "This is…complicated to explain."

"My father was never a nice man," Laxus said with no preamble. Lucy hadn't expected him to beat around the bush. "He was cruel, and from what Gramps told me, liked to torture animals and other kids with his magick. Gramps tried, I know he did, but Ivan was just too messed up."

"Master had to kick Ivan out of the guild," Mira picked up the story when Laxus stopped and stared out the window, jaw locked. "He didn't want to, but he didn't have a choice. I don't know what exactly happened, but it was the last straw. Master didn't see his son for many years, and only heard rumors of what Ivan was doing. Whispers of black magick concerned him greatly, but he couldn't do much. He couldn't find him. Then, whispers started of Ivan having a child. Master feared for this child, and started hunting for him."

"Damn good thing too." Laxus was still facing the window. "I don't really know who my mother was, and according to Ivan, she died in childbirth. Don't know if believe it, but she's never tried to find me. Ivan was fond of experiments and wasn't happy with me. Apparently, I was too weak to suit him. He wanted a strong son, one who would help him take down Fairy Tail. He's power hungry, and blames Gramps for everything bad that's ever happened to him." Laxus snatched a drink from the tray, paced in a tight circle, and then stared out the window again.

A part of Lucy wanted to tell him to stop, that he'd said enough. Another part dreaded hearing the whole story. But she knew Laxus wouldn't stop now, and asking him too would only make him angry—it wasn't easy for him to open up like this, she knew.

"In our world," Mira said giving Laxus a small break. "There is a creature called the Raijuu. It takes many forms, from cyclops to honey badger, but it is a being of great power. In some stories, it's made of lightning, in others; it's a being that can control lightning. Ivan captured a Raijuu, but was unable to harness its power as it was."

"So he used me," Laxus said. "He tested me, and found I had a natural affinity for lightning, as my lineage of ogres has a history of being able to use lighting. I just didn't have a big enough power source for it. Which made sense, considering I was around six at the time." Lucy's stomach rolled. Ivan had been upset his _six-year-old_ son hadn't been powerful?

"I won't go into too many details, but he wanted to transfer the power of the Raijuu into me. He figured he could control me, and the power, but I'm not so sure. He used the Raijuu's blood. I remember the Raijuu's power literally frying me alive, trying to make my body work for its purposes. Gramps found us and stopped the transfer halfway through. I've never seen Gramps so furious since then, and I don't want to. They fought, but Ivan slinked away before Gramps could catch him. He took me to Porlyusica, and she made sure I survived the partial transfer. So I'm part ogre, part whatever my mom was, and part Raijuu."

"Ivan hates that Master raised Laxus the way he did," Mira said stirring her drink idly. "He tried to take him back when Laxus was about ten, but Laxus didn't believe that Ivan truly loved him like he tried to claim. Laxus was too much like Master to be swayed by Ivan's ideals, and it just added another log to Ivan's fire. He now blames Master for turning his own son against him, when it's Ivan's fault to begin with. Every now and again, he reminds us that he's still around. He's plotting something, but we don't know what. He wants to annihilate us, but what your father has to do with it, I don't know."

"Ivan put a spell on that damned Paper Doll," Laxus said. "One that disguised the scent and sight of the Doll in your father's back. One that made Jude come here. He wanted us, you, to see Jude like this. I don't know what he's planning, but if he tries to hurt anyone in Fairy Tail, I'll tear him to shreds." The promise flashed into his eyes.

She didn't want to see Fairy Tail go to war…But it seemed as if war was where they were heading.

* * *

It was another tense hour before she was allowed to go see her father. She didn't know what to feel. Anger, fear, and worry twisted in her gut and she couldn't decide what she could be feeling. Should she be happy he was okay? She didn't _want_ him to die, but she wasn't sure how she felt about him being here in the first place. A part of her felt guilty for wishing he'd never walked into the Guild—she wished he was elsewhere, unharmed, and that she could continue her life without any more upheavals. Another part of her had questions—mainly _why._ She had so many questions that began with _why_ , followed by many _what the hell happened._

Her father was pale, his face relaxed in sleep or pain medication, she wasn't sure which. His suit was ruined, ripped and blood stained, but it had been an expensive suit. Just another question to ask, she thought idly, where did he get the money for the suit? Everything felt just out of focus, like a camera that was tilted to the side, the zoom a little too far out.

So much had happened in such a little time. She'd found out that she wasn't human, and had been introduced to a world of Mythics. She'd freed a demon imprisoned for centuries; only to find out she'd lost centuries of time as well. She'd discovered her mother's death coincided with Natsu's desperate battle against his best friend, Zeref. The aftermath of the battle had locked the Realms away from each other and had imprisoned Natsu in such a way that he'd been slowly dying. She'd nearly become Devourer chow and had allowed the Celestial Realm access to the Human and Demon Realms again.

Now, one of Fairy Tail's enemies, Ivan, had returned again, dragging her father into the crazy events that had become her life.

Laxus's story had hit her hard. Her father wasn't the best in the world, and a part of her, one she kept desperately hidden, hated him, but he was nothing compared to Ivan. Ivan Dreyar, a man who wanted power so badly, who was so twisted and hateful, he'd experimented on his own son. She couldn't imagine living with that on her shoulders. Her father was bad enough.

And yet, for a moment, he'd looked at her with such pride and joy, with love. She'd tried so hard as a kid to get him to look at her like that, and against her will, a little bud of hope was trying to bloom inside her. Hope that her daddy could be proud of her, to love her.

When Natsu spoke, she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Is he okay-whoa, jeez, didn't mean to scare ya." She pressed a hand to her heart.

"H-he should be okay." She said trying to her heart under control. She looked at him and took him in. He'd gotten a bit of trim, courtesy of Mira, but she'd refused to cut it as short as he wanted it, so it still tickled his neck and hid his eyes when he looked down. It annoyed him, and it made a strange feeling tingle in her belly, so she suggested a hair tie. He'd shrugged and pulled it back, surprisingly not needing any help.

Yeah, ponytailed Natsu was a hundred times worse than longhaired Natsu.

His eyes, which she'd thought were black, were actually dark green with hints of gold, oddly feral when he was angered. His eyes were losing the haunted look, his face losing the gauntness as well, making the lines of his face smoother, healthier. She wasn't stupid, she _knew_ Natsu was attractive.

Honestly, anyone with pink hair shouldn't be allowed to be so hot, but then Natsu relished in breaking rules.

She didn't know what she was supposed to _do_ with the knowledge that she was attracted to a demon; a Dragon Demon with pink hair, a reputation for mass destruction and dense on top of it, but it was a fact she had to deal with.

"Why are you lookin' at me funny?" Natsu asked his brow furrowing.

"N-no reason!"

"You're so weird Lucy." This came from both Natsu and Happy, who she now noticed on the floor beside Natsu.

"Yeah, yeah." She said not in the mood to debate that _they_ were the weird ones.

"If your dad's going to be okay, then why are you sad?" Happy asked a few minutes later.

"Because he lied to me," Lucy answered. "He had to know how much time had passed, about Loke and the other Spirits; about…mom, but he didn't tell me anything. He let me believe I was human, even when he's clearly not. He never showed me love, or that he cared. A-a part of me hates him."

"When I was little," Natsu spoke suddenly. "The dragon that raised me, Igneel, vanished. He didn't say a word. I was alone. I didn't have anybody. Eventually, I met Zeref, and became a part of Fairy Tail but still…I never stopped looking for him…but a part of me is was so angry with him. I don't know what excuse there is for leaving me. A month or so before my battle with Zeref…Igneel came. He was wounded and had just defeated Acnologia, the Dragon of the Apocalypse. He'd been fighting him all that time. Dragon battles can last centuries, in Realms beyond any Mythic's reach. He said goodbye…and that was it." Natsu's voice was thick, and she got the feeling he hadn't told anyone about the encounter. "If…if I'd had the chance to reconnect with him…well…"

She got what he was trying to tell her—she had a chance with her father, one he hadn't gotten. She stood and hugged him, this time in some attempt to comfort him. She half expected him to push her away or tell her not to bother, but to her surprise, he held her close, his ear against her heart.

"You _liikkeeeee_ each other." A cheeky voice snickered, but she chose to ignore Happy. She ran her fingers through Natsu's hair, taking and giving comfort.

The infirmary door opened, and Gajeel stalked in. She blinked at him, for he had Levy on one shoulder and Juvia on the other. He was lucky the door was tall enough to admit such a thing. Natsu leaned away from her, taking in Gajeel as well.

"Dude, isn't Levy enough for you? Gotta steal Ice Prick's girl too?" Natsu teased.

"'Least I'm not snuggling next to my girl's hurt daddy." Gajeel shot back, causing Lucy to flush and Natsu to stare at him blankly.

"Gray-sama went to meet up with Lyon, a member of Lamia Scale and Gray-sama's foster brother. Lyon was close enough for Gray-sama to explain Ivan's activity in person. Juvia's beloved told Gajeel to 'keep an eye' on her until he got back, and Gajeel takes the job seriously." Juvia explained, her expression bemused. Gajeel somehow managed to shrug, sending both girls for a mini-roller coaster ride.

"What Juvia left out is that Gajeel has a soft spot for small blue haired girls," Levy said with wicked amusement.

Gajeel flushed then barked, "Ha! You called yourself small!"

"Nearly everyone is small compared to you," Levy said primly. "Even most of the guys. You're tall Gajeel."

"And yer a shrimp." Gajeel snorted. "Even shorter than most of the midgets in this guild."

"Gajeel _does_ have a soft spot for blue hair," Juvia spoke up suddenly. "Blue hair and cats."

"Shut it, ya crazy woman."

"Gajeel has told Juvia that he likes her hair. Levy too."

"I ain't allowed ta say compliments?"

"Gajeel only compliments fighting skills, rarely people themselves."

"…Shaddup."

"I like this arrangement," Levy said brightly. "I don't even have to argue with the big lug, Juvia does it for me." Gajeel scowled, and Pantherlily, his cat partner, smirked at his predicament.

"When will you learn that you can't win an argument against _one_ woman, let alone two?" Pantherlily asked causing Gajeel to stare him down—Lily wasn't intimidated.

"I heard your father's going to be okay, Lu!" Levy smiled adjusting Gajeel's headband.

"Yeah, Porlyusica and Wendy said he'd probably sleep until morning," Lucy replied, fidgeting with the sheets on his bed.

"If you're supposed to be protecting them," Lucy heard Happy ask. "how are you going to fight with them on your shoulders?" She heard Gajeel let loose his strange laugh.

"Cat," He said. "they're Fairy Tail ladies. Frostbite told me to keep an eye on Juvia, not _protect_ her. They can take care of themselves. It's just easier to keep an eye on people so small if they stick by me. 'Specially Levy. An' if they need a little backup." Gajeel grinned, pointed canines shining fiercely. "They got me."

"Yeah, Happy," Natsu said. "Girl power!"

"It's not sumthin' to be messed with." Gajeel laughed out. "Speakin' of." Gajeel's eyes locked onto Lucy. "Mira think it'd be a good idea for you to start honin' yer magick."

"We can train while I'm at your place!" Natsu exclaimed. "It'll be fun!" Somehow, Lucy figured training with Natsu Dragneel wouldn't exactly meet her definition of _fun._

"Capricorn and Loke can help me too," Lucy stated, knowing it needed to be done. Besides, it would be nice to able to fight if need be.

"Come on Lu," Levy said. "We're having a strategy session in the main hall. Your dad will be okay in here." Lucy followed them out, Gajeel didn't even seem to notice that he had two girls on his shoulders, he still walked with ease. She wondered what it was like to be that physically strong.

Her mind was still filled with questions, her gut still turned with unease and confusion, plus a myriad of other emotions, but it was going to be okay. She had Fairy Tail by her side.

* * *

The strategy session involved all the tables pushed together, and the main members of Fairy Tail sitting around the outside. Many of the Mythics who were casual members, or just came in for the occasional job or drink were gone. Lucy saw more familiar faces than unfamiliar. Erza stood on the tables, a gigantic map spread across them, and she was talking about one of Ivan's old hideouts. Gray had returned, and didn't bat an eye when he saw Juvia perched on Gajeel's shoulder. A white-haired man stood beside Gray, and Lucy noted she had never seen him before.

"That's Lyon Vastia," Natsu said nodding towards the man. "He's part of Lamia Scale, a Mythic job guild like this one. Ivan usually leaves the other guilds alone, but Gramps likes keeping everyone updated."

"He's probably here to report back to Lamia Scale's master," Happy said. "Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus have had run-ins with Ivan before."

Gajeel had walked over to Gray, picking Juvia off his shoulder and plopping her into Gray's lap, much to their surprise. Levy moved over, putting one leg on either side of Gajeel's neck, and the pair found a place to sit. Lucy noticed that Alzack and Bisca were not too far from Gray, but Asuka wasn't anywhere in sight. Mira and Lisanna served the members, often adding tidbits of information to Erza's rundown. Natsu found an open seat, but there wasn't another chair and before she could protest, Lucy found herself on Natsu's lap.

"There's nowhere else," Natsu muttered in her ear, and she could only hope her face wasn't as red as it felt. No one seemed to notice, though, save for a smirk Gray shot her. Levy was still on Gajeel's shoulders, using the height to see more of the map. Reedus, a Mythic she hadn't conversed with much, used his magick to create a 3D man, who according to Makarov's latest intelligence, was what Ivan looked like right now.

The blond hair had skipped a generation, Lucy noted. She'd seen a picture of Makarov in his youth, and his hair had been only shades off from Laxus's. Ivan's hair was black, his skin was darker than Laxus's—tanned or natural, Lucy didn't know—his nose sharper, he had a beard and some strange mustache that flowed into it. The only similarity Lucy could find between father and son was maybe, the color of their eyes. She felt Natsu stiffen at the sight of Ivan, and a low rumble vibrated in his chest.

Obviously, Natsu was angrier than he'd let on.

"Now," Erza said whipping around a long, thin rapier in place of a pointer. "Ivan's motives are unknown to us. We don't know if he targeted Lucy's father in an attempt to rile us up. He may very well want us to launch an attack against him, meaning that if we do find his current hideout, we need to be careful. There is no telling what he has in store for us. We are not asking any other guild to get involved." Erza continued with a pointed look at Lyon. "However, if they have any information regarding Ivan, we would appreciate it. Now Mr. Heartfilia may have some answers about what Ivan wants. He sent him here alive for a reason, it seems. We have wards set up to block his Paper Dolls, along with several other assassination techniques.

"We're watching the perimeter, and Master has tightened up the security on the pocket dimension. We—" She was cut off by a strangled scream and Lucy felt icy fingers slide down her back.

 _Father._ It clicked in her head that her father had been the one screaming. Lucy launched herself off Natsu's lap and thundered towards the infirmary, Natsu at her heels. He quickly overtook her, though, slamming the infirmary doors open along with Gray. Lightning flashed from the room, and Lucy caught a quick glimpse of Laxus fighting something heavy, furred, and with a mouth full of sharp, killer teeth. Laxus was pinned beneath the beast, but Loke caught her arm when she took a step closer. Before Gray or Natsu could help, Laxus glowed with magick, and Lucy could feel the ozone in the air crackle. Lightning fumed off Laxus, hitting the beast and sending it through the wall. Laxus stood, his shirt ripped, blood dripping from his chest. The beast leaped back through the wall, a horrid burn smoking on its chest.

Natsu rushed in, and for the first time, Lucy saw him in a fight. Fire danced around his hands, he moved with all the power of a dragon, but had a grace Lucy felt two thousand pound lizards couldn't possess. The beast looked like a wolf, but not. Its eyes were green like a cat's, its claws sharper. The sounds it made were caught between tiger and wolf.

"That lightning blast should've killed it." Someone said. No one dared get between Natsu and the fight, though; it was obvious he didn't need help. While the beast seemed to be mostly unaffected by lightning, fire seemed to do the trick. Natsu hit the beast's snout, causing it to let out a sharp whine, he then planted his feet, took a deep breath and launched a torrent of fire at it. The beast was lost in the flames, flames so intense Lucy could feel them from where she stood near the door, while Natsu was on the other side of the room.

When the flames sputtered out, the beast was gone. Fire smoldered around where the beast had been, but quickly died. Smoke drifted off Natsu's body, and he was breathing a little heavily, but he seemed quite satisfied with the results. Lucy's eyes drifted from Natsu to her father.

Oh. Oh no.

_No._

Blood stained the pristine white sheets, dripped onto the warm wood floor. The smell of it slammed into her, a harsh slap of reality. Wendy was already at her father's side, her cute outfit flecked with blood, his face a study in concentration. Lucy ran to her father, whose breathing was harsh. She couldn't bring herself to look at his wounds. He was awake when she wished he were asleep, so he wouldn't have to feel so much pain. His face was paler than earlier.

"Lucy." He whispered. He said her name over and over again, a desperate mantra. She took his hands.

"I'm here." She said her voice strangled. "Daddy I'm here."

"Lucy…" His eyes flickered over to her, took her in. "You look like your mother. H…how proud…she'd be. Lucy. Lucy. Lucy, I'm sorry."

His eyes closed, his hand went limp and through the buzzing in her head that was denial, she could hear Wendy quietly sobbing.


	17. Falling Stars Still Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have only one thing to add, and if you had a childhood like mine it will strike doom into your heart.
> 
> RAINBOW. ROAD.

The thing about death is the fact that it doesn't stop the world from moving. There's no freeze frame, no slow, soft music playing in the background while actors play out the scene. The world doesn't express it sadness with rain pouring down. It isn't a ten-minute portion of a movie, where the actors can fast forward to a better place in time. It isn't removed, as it is when a death plays on the screen.

No, it's all heartbreakingly real. The moment of her father's death and the events before it are crystal clear. The events afterward are blurring of mixed emotions, colors, impressions, condolences, and shock. It's like a movie that plays perfectly until her father's final moments and then it starts to skip, the colors blur, and the dialogue is scrambled and incoherent. She remembers Natsu pulling her away from her father, as she screamed for him to wake up. She remembers fighting him, kicking and screaming, drowning in shock and grief.

She didn't cry, just clung to him and shook like a leaf about to fall from its branch, its tenuous hold slipping every second. She couldn't find the tears. She was grieving, she knew, but mixed with the grief was the mixed feelings she felt for her father. She loved him, on some level it was a comfort to know that she did. On another, she hated him and was only more ashamed of the feeling now. She knew that love and hate didn't have as defined lines as most people believed. They blurred as often as they divided.

The funeral had been a small affair, as many of the Fairy Tail Mythics either couldn't get through to the Human Realm or didn't want to intrude on her grief. Her father was buried beside her mother, in the plot he had bought many years ago. Thanks to his insurance, and the surprising amount of money in the bank—which was hers now—his funeral costs were covered. She didn't know what flowers he would like, or if he wanted any at all, so she'd gone with a simple bouquet of lilies to place on his gravestone.

She'd stood above the graves of both of her parents, neither of which had been given the chance to see her grow into who she was now. She'd stood there, the tears frozen in her chest, wondering if it was her fate to be given so little time with people she loved. Her father, it seemed, had been ready to start over with her. She found that the death of that chance had cut more keenly than the grief of her father's demise.

Natsu had stood by her, saying nothing, and staying back far enough to allow her to speak to her parent's gravestones. Gray and Juvia had come as well, Juvia placing a small bundle of tiny flowers that Lucy had no name for on Jude's grave. They were the palest of blues, and though there was no rain, they seemed to weep with sadness. Mira had come, with Lisanna and Elfman. Lisanna had hugged her tightly, then Mira had, and then Elfman completed it, locking Lucy in a Strauss hug that meant more than any awkward 'sorry for your loss' ever could.

Others had come too, but who exactly, and what they'd said on blurred on her, save for a few moments, like the Strauss hug.

Everyone had expressed their condolences, though, and Fairy Tail was as somber as she. Very little of what people said to her stuck, save for a select few.

"Death is the end of a life," Mira had told her. "an end of a story, but not the end of an existence."

She supposed it was true, she thought, her mind numb enough to ponder the question of death without much trouble. Death didn't erase what the person had left behind, whether it be memories or material items. It was a strange form of comfort that her father would never be erased from her memory, even if there were some events she wished she didn't remember.

Still, it was hard to accept, when the possibility of connecting with her father had been dangled in front of her like a carrot on the stick, only to be cruelly ripped away by an egotistical, evil hearted, jackass of a man.

You could say she was slightly ticked at Ivan.

Still, life did keep moving, even when all she wanted was for it stop so she could find a corner and just sit there, removed from all the chaos of daily life. Natsu kept his promise, he stayed at her house, he and Happy making themselves at home. Both were slightly out of depth with how to handle her. She still hadn't cried. She couldn't find the tears to shed. People popped in all day, all from Fairy Tail, hoping to get her to laugh or at least leave her in better spirits.

Honestly, the days weren't too bad. She was able to laugh, to make jokes and try to go on with her day. Nights were haunted with the _could have beens_ and the image of her father, bloody, pale, and still as death.

If it wasn't her father haunting her dreams, it was Ivan himself, laughing and crushing Fairy Tail in the palm of his hand. She had no idea what the man sounded like, but the image Reedus had created had seared itself into her brain. The beast that had killed her father starred in several nightmares, maw dripping with blood, dark, malicious eyes locked on her, while the bodies of all she loved lay scattered around it.

When one looked at it from a distance, they were standard nightmares, nothing special, nothing different, but they never failed to terrify.

Natsu always fell asleep on the couch. He would inevitably slip into her bed in the middle of the night, and wake her from a nightmare. He'd stay then and offer her comfort and support. Happy would slip into the bed too, a warm ball of fur that comforted just as well as Natsu did. Honestly, she didn't know why she insisted he sleep on the couch all of the sudden, he never stayed there, and it wasn't as if he hadn't slept with her before.

She guessed, at first, it had been her attempt to prove that she wasn't afraid and that she could be on her own. Combine that with the fact that she had to have _some_ defense against the goofy, unfairly hot man sharing her home, and her own feelings on proper behavior, and Natsu got the couch.

Even with Ivan active, and a dead man already on his hands, Fairy Tail seemed to remain as ever. Brawls were still at least a weekly occurrence, if not more. Beer and other forms of alcohol still flowed with what Lucy still thought was an alarming speed, and it was as loud as ever in the Guildhall.

But one only had to look under the surface to see the tension.

Erza was never seen without a sword and Jellal by her side. Elfman stood guard over his sisters as they served Fairy Tail patrons, eyeing up anyone who looked remotely suspicious. Gajeel sat in a dark corner, Levy at his side, eyes fixed on the door, and nose picking out scents, looking for someone or something that didn't belong. Sometimes, though, Gajeel would vanish, and even Levy wouldn't know where he was. She would simply be left with Pantherlily. Pantherlily began carrying a small sword across his back, for reason Lucy couldn't fathom. Even Happy seemed armed nowadays—granted, his idea of a weapon were two fish or whatever other forms of food he could get his hands on, but still.

Master was either watching over his children from the second floor or talking with Laxus and the Thunder Legion, who were absent from the Guild a lot, undoubtedly looking for Ivan. Erza and Jellal vanished often as well, taking on leads given to them by an unknown source.

Master had tried to contact Gildarts, though if it was simply to see if he had information or if Master wanted him if it came to a fight, Lucy didn't know. Whatever the case, Gildarts was as elusive as the wind, and Cana had no luck when she'd tried to locate him with her cards. Apparently, when Gildarts didn't want to be found, he made sure he wasn't.

Other members were gathering information as well, but everything so far was either too vague to help, or old news.

Two weeks after her father's death, Lucy wondered if Ivan had simply gone back underground, his point made.

His point, of course, being, _I am still here and you are not as safe as you think._

Based on the attitude of the Guild, though, she figured that was the wrong assumption to make. She overheard Master telling Erza that Ivan's greatest skill was _patience._ He'd been waiting for _centuries_ to finally take down Fairy Tail. Whether or not this was the beginning of the end in Ivan's mind, his final assault as it were, Master couldn't be sure. His second greatest skill, Master had said darkly, was his ability—no _joy,_ in making his enemy suffer. Terrorism was Ivan's keenest sword.

Needless to say, overhearing _that_ hadn't exactly made Lucy feel better.

* * *

It was hard to be afraid, though, with someone as optimistic as Natsu by her side. He was constantly reassuring her that everything would be fine, that they'd take down Ivan once and for all. Piece of cake.

She might believe it, if she didn't know he was training hard, building his muscles and magick back up. She might be able to believe his excuse that he simply hated being weak if she hadn't heard Gray and Erza discussing how utterly _pissed_ Natsu had been after her father's funeral, when he vanished without a word for a few hours. She knew now that he'd been working off his anger, and resolved to become stronger than he'd been four centuries ago. With the progress he was making, and the power she could now feel steadily emanating from him, she wondered if he would achieve that before Ivan made his next move.

Less than a month before, Natsu had been frail, half-dead, and sustaining himself on the smallest of magick reserves. Now he was half revived, with his magic reserves nearly normal and his muscle mass was coming back with a vengeance. Lucy wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it. Wendy had been helping him of course, along with Porlyusica, but it still seemed far too good to be true. Natsu was just one stubborn, powerful Demon.

Of course, she hadn't been slacking either. Capricorn and Loke had been helping her with concentrating her magick reserves and regulating her output. She couldn't open two Gold gates at once yet, so if they both were out, one of them summoned themselves. She could, however, summon a silver key and a gold key at the same time. She'd made contracts with the rest of her spirits, and Virgo, an odd spirit with pink hair and strange pension for punishment had brought her a whip.

It was unlike any whip Lucy had ever seen before; it was completely fueled by magick, and far more versatile than a normal whip. It was called Fleuve d'étoiles, which, Lucy was told, meant _River of Stars._ With help from her spirits, she was quickly gaining mastery of the weapon, her Yoga flexibility combining with her knowledge of martial arts. It used less magick than her gates did, which could help her out if she was low on magick and either unable to summon a spirit, or if she was able to handle a situation on her own with the whip.

Secretly, Lucy was thrilled it allowed her to fight alongside her spirits, instead of using them as shields. She'd been studying her combat spirit's way of fighting, under the guise of wanting to know their abilities—it wasn't a total lie, she needed to know what they could do in order to know who to summon—but that thought had come second to her need to be able to fight with them.

She was getting better, though a part of her knew she'd never be Titania Erza or Demon Mirajane. They were just insanely strong.

But then, she'd always underestimated her own abilities.

Natsu occasionally helped her with her training, allowing her to spar so she could get used to calling the shots and judging the situation. Her spirits were knowledgeable on combat strategies, but she had to be creative and use her own judgment as well. There wouldn't always be time for her spirits to go over a battle strategy, and her enemy wouldn't be someone who'd go easy on her, calling out her mistakes and not actually harming her spirits.

Once the rest of Fairy Tail caught wind of her training, other members popped up randomly, challenging her and her spirits. It helped keep her mind off Ivan and her father. Jellal even showed up once, Erza at his side, and they double-teamed her. She lasted all of five minutes, and that was because they'd been going easy on her. And for an easygoing guy with a killer smile, Jellal was terrifying when focused on battle. Erza was as well, but that was no surprise.

Never again.

She would _never_ spar with them again. Erza was far too intense, and Jellal…she simply shuddered.

Nope.

Gray and Juvia helped too, and Lucy didn't need to see them fight seriously to know they were a deadly combination. Ice and water. What went together better?

If she was learning anything about having random partners was the advantage of Celestial Spirits was their variability in battle. No spirit fought in the same way, and each was useful in different situations. It was also the challenge of Celestial Spirits: knowing the right spirit for the job. Sure, sometimes it was basic. Need a hole in the ground? Call up Virgo. Need brute strength? Taurus is your answer. Need a soft landing? Aries is here to please.

Other times it could be complicated. Against a water user? One might think that Aquarius would be the obvious answer. But when that water user is paired with an Ice Make user, adding more water to the equation is a bad idea, especially when said ice user is able to freeze the water without too much trouble, while leaving the water under the water user's control free.

Yeah, Lucy was sure Aquarius was going to _drown her_ for that one.

So it was learning curve, but she was a quick study and was naturally creative.

So while the last two weeks had been horrible in many ways, there'd been some bright spots too. Knowing all the spirits her mother had collected wanted to stay with her and were willing to offer their knowledge and expertise was a huge weight off her shoulders. Finally being able to defend herself helped too. She was sick of needing to be protected. When the time came, she damn well wanted to get a few hits on Ivan. She didn't think she'd be able to _defeat_ him as he was much older and more experienced than she was, but she'd show him Lucy Heartfilia was no doormat.

Of course, there were also things that were neither good nor bad. Natsu being in her house _constantly_ was one of them.

On the one hand, it was nice having some company. It was nice being able to talk aloud and know someone was listening—and with Natsu's hearing, she didn't need to be in the same room for him to hear her. He also dragged her from her computer when she had an appointment or she needed to stretch. It was _defiantly_ nice to have someone to chase the nightmares away.

On the _other_ hand….He had no idea what the concept of 'personal space' was and he could be loud and annoying. He ate enough for three starving men—something she was told he'd done _before_ his imprisonment. Happy had an appetite for lots of expensive whole fish—canned Tuna she was informed, was a disgusting attempt at being fish. Happy also tended to tease, but she was told he'd improved over the centuries Natsu had been gone. Forced to grow up, Lucy thought now with no small amount of sympathy.

Lucy was forced to admit she just wasn't used to having someone like Natsu around every single day. Sure, he'd been there in spirit for two years, but he'd had very limited access to her world, and sometimes she'd been able to convince herself that she was alone. Now that he was solid and undeniably _real_ —very solid, she thought, thinking of his abs that were starting to come back—it was a huge difference. The men her fa—she'd been acquainted with before had been perfect gentlemen.

Like Capricorn, but without the enduring loyalty and personality.

They'd been stiff, eyeing up her fortune along with her breasts and wondering if they could slip a mistress or two under her radar. She'd hated them. Hated them for their fake smiles, for their sickeningly charming personality she wasn't near naïve enough to buy.

People like Natsu were a refreshing change. Hell, the whole of Fairy Tail was a refreshing change. There wasn't one fake person in the bunch. They were all unbelievably real with flaws that were utterly human. Emotions that were heartbreakingly human.

For instance, after Lucy had calmed down enough to accept that her father was gone—meaning she'd stopped fighting Natsu and had stopped shaking like a leaf—Wendy had come to her, still sobbing, and choking out apologies. Lucy had wound up with an armful of crying child, trying desperately to soothe her, and find the words that would stop her from blaming herself. Wendy had tried so hard to save her father. Lucy knew that. She didn't blame Wendy at all. It had never occurred to her to do so. Some things, magick simply couldn't heal.

Mira had spoken to Wendy as well, and the last time Lucy had seen her she'd looked much better—full of big smiles and cutely flirting lightly with Romeo. Lucy was glad that Fairy Tail was showing signs of healing from the shock of having someone killed under their roof. Her mixed feelings still swirled inside, but after several _long_ letters to her mother, she was able to cope better.

"Lucyyyyyyyy," Natsu whined from the living room, jolting her out of her thoughts. Lucy had been zoning out, thinking of the last few weeks because of the stubborn Writer's Block that prevented her from moving forward in her novel. Closing the laptop, she went out into the living room, where Natsu was splayed across her couch. She eyed up what he'd set up on her TV.

"Do you even know how to play Mario Kart?"

"I've seen you play it against Levy, and some of your human friends." Natsu grinned, held up a purple controller. "I can take you." Grateful for the distraction—her thoughts had been wandering far too much lately and her novel was suffering because of it—she grabbed the purple controller out of his hands, and handed him a silver one.

The purple controller was her lucky controller.

She set up the game, deciding to go with the easiest set of courses first, allowing Natsu to get used to the controls. Watching was one thing, playing was another.

And Lucy was seriously competitive.

He was sloppy at first, mistiming his item throws or missing the boxes altogether. She beat him easily, and ignored the frustrated growl he let out when he was once again shoved back into eighth place.

She decided not to mention that she'd gotten first.

By the end of the easiest courses, though, he was moving up the ranks, ending the last race in fifth, and figuring out the controls. She was glad he hadn't gotten frustrated enough to melt the controller—he'd done that once, to the TV remote when the thing had refused to change to the DVD/VCR.

Now, things got interesting.

Her characters, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, were battling against adult Mario and Yoshi, Natsu's characters. She sideswiped him, having mastered the timing of knocking an opponent back and keeping her lead. They hit a row of boxes and she heard him sigh.

"I didn't want to do this Lucy." He shook his head sadly before clicking 'X'.

She blew up in a cloud of blue smoke. After a moment of stunned silence, she realized what he'd done. The bastard had used a blue shell on her.

This was war.

And so began an epic Mario Kart tournament, with no mercy to be found. She used bananas, green shells, and mushrooms with ruthless abandonment. Natsu had mastered the Art of the Red Shell, smashing his opponents off the courses with an efficiency that got him to second quickly.

And then, it was a battle between them. The other players were annihilated when they dared interfere, but the gap between second and third widened too far for the NPCs to do much. Items of all sorts were launched between them, shortcuts were used without a thought, and the battle for first was vicious. They both won and lost, and the shouts and groans weren't all from the TV. They pushed and shoved each other as much as they pushed and shoved their players on the screen. Teeth were gritted, eyes locked on victory.

She didn't know how long they played, but they played all sixteen courses, on the master Tournament, and it was between them. No other players were even in the running to compete for first or second. Third was well behind them.

It was down to the last course. The last chance. Whoever won this was Ruler of Mario Kart.

The field of battle?

Rainbow. Road.

The multicolored course of doom. Where dreams fell into the void and the colorful road mocked your defeat with its cheerfulness. Where the guardrails were few and far between, and no amount of swearing could stop your cart from slipping off the edge. It was every Mario Kart player's nightmare. It wasn't a game. It was a life or death battle, where one false move spelled the end.

The countdown started, Lucy and Natsu poised on their controllers, waiting for the right moment to strike.

_One._

Lucy zipped forward, having got the little beginning boost. Natsu lagged slightly behind, but she knew better than to count him out so soon. Sure enough, a green shell slid by her, shooting off the edge of the road.

 _No guardrails to bounce your shell off,_ she snickered internally. The battle intensified. Bananas, annoying items on any other course, spelled a one-way ticket into the black pit of doom on Rainbow Road. Hell, nearly any item could knock a kart off course in this one. Not falling was impossible on the slippery course, and Natsu and Lucy fell a fair number of times, switching between second and first.

Natsu's red shell barely missed her, and she threw a green one behind her in an attempt to get him off her tail. He skidded, nearly fell, but was back on course quickly. They were no longer shoving each other, too focused on the course to risk movement. The slightest twitch of the toggle could send a player off the board.

The final lap was so intense Lucy could feel sweat slick her controller. She was so focused, nothing else mattered. Natsu was in front of her, and dammit, she needed to win this. Her finger itched on the 'X' button, where an item was stored, but she needed to be cautious. She needed to release it at the right moment.

Final few feet. Still behind. Last stretch until the launch to the finish line.

_Now._

She clicked the button, sending her red shell out, and it slammed into Natsu, causing her character to jump for joy. She sped by him, launched over the final jump, and skidded over the finish line.

There was a moment of utter silence between Natsu and Lucy as her characters cheered on screen. Lucy's grin widened, until she felt her face might crack from it. She launched up into the air, her knees cracking from the sudden movement, and began her winner's boogie dance. Laughing she stuck her tongue out at the sulking Natsu. She ignored the aches in her body from sitting still for far too long, and let joy destroy the shadows that had been plaguing her for days.

"I'm Queen of the Castle, I'm Queen of the Castleeee." She sang out, copying her favorite character in RWBY.

"You're Ruler of Mario Kart," Natsu grumbled. "Not queen of the castle."

"Bowser's Castle is in the game!" She protested. "As Ruler of Mario Kart, I declare myself Queen of Bowser's Castle, which is now _my_ Castle and you shall call it as such!" She sang more, dancing and laughing, as the game continued its cheering. Natsu stood suddenly, and loomed over her.

"I demand a rematch. Winner takes all."

"Sore loser."

"Sore winner."

She tossed her hair. "I'm allowed to brag a bit. It's my right as Ruler of Mario Kart."

"If you're so confident, you won't mind a rematch!"

"I don't need to prove anything." She pointed to the screen. "I already did."

"Lu _cy_ ," Natsu whined, pulling the Bambi eyes.

"Natsu." She said sternly, meeting the gaze calmly. She would not break, no matter how much her belly was quivering. She grinned. "I'm Queen of the Castle, I'm Queen of the Castle."

"Stop!"

"Make me!"

Challenge snapped into his eyes, and Lucy only had time to think ' _uh oh'_ before she was on the ground, being tickled mercilessly. She squirmed, trying to shove him off, but he used his new muscles to keep her pinned.

"Give me a rematch!"

"N-n-never!" She stuttered out as she tried to breathe. She twisted, pushed her foot against his stomach and pushed him off her. She rolled on top of him, quickly, looking for his ticklish spots. She found one, right on his hip. She found another between the junction of his neck and shoulder, which she thought was an odd spot but she went with it. He squirmed and laughed, and she knew he could simply lift her off him.

"S-s-stoppp!" He laughed out. "Luce! Y-you're _mean!"_

"Stop asking for a rematch and bow to your Queen and I will!"

"I…will…not bow!"

"Bow!"

" _Never!"_

He grabbed her wrists, rolled, and pinned her again, wrists above her head, his legs splayed over her hips. A blush worked its way over her cheeks, but she fought to ignore it. She met his gaze. She would win this. Heat stirred in her stomach, and she used it to keep her competitive spirit fired. They were both breathing heavily, both determined to come out the victor in their battle. Several minutes passed, and her breathing calmed, and the battle blood settled again, until they were simply two people, lying on the floor, staring at each other. Something indescribable passed through his eyes, and when he grinned at her, it was gone.

He ducked his head a bit, and with a roll of his eyes, said. "You win, my Queen." In the next instant, she was standing again, Natsu's warm hand holding hers. "I still want a rematch, but I'll settle for kicking Gray's ass next time he's over."

"I would pay to see that." She laughed, stepping back to try to get the weird heat in her belly to settle.

* * *

Feeling lighter in the heart, she went to take a shower. There was nothing like a good game of Mario Kart to make an okay day into a great day. The steam of the shower swirled around, and she wallowed in it. When she finally stepped out, she felt better, better than she had in days. Without Natsu around Lucy knew she'd have spent the last week sulking, rarely leaving the house and certainly not playing video games to cheer herself up. It was nice having someone she could count on. She'd never felt that she could depend on her father; she thought now ignoring the wince in her heart. Death didn't make anything about how her father lived less true.

It just made it sadder.

He'd never been there when she'd needed it, and she supposed that she had the life she did because of it. She hadn't wanted what her father had wanted her to have, so she'd forged her own path out of necessity. And, she knew now, a need to prove to her father that she didn't need his fortune, his connections, his _ideal future,_ for her to succeed. She wasn't a huge novelist, not yet, but if the new book she was writing was hit—like she and her editor hope it would be—she'd shoot up to the top of the charts as a well-known author.

Her father was gone, but the ambition to succeed was still there. She supposed that was her father's gift to her—ambition, and the drive to make her dreams come true. She let out a sigh and looked in the mirror. On the outside, she looked like her mother. Her heart was her mother's, she knew, pressing a hand to it, but some of her brains, the drive, and the analytical parts, were from her father. She couldn't help but wonder if things had been different, and her mother had lived, or if her father had realized that his daughter grieved as much as he, and had comforted and cared for her, if she and her father would have seen eye to eye on more things.

It hadn't been for lack of wanting that she and her father hadn't gotten along. She'd tried, but she simply couldn't be the daughter he thought he wanted her to be. She couldn't change the past, not twenty-five years ago, not a week ago, and not four hundred.

She would live with what was, and work for what will be. It would always hurt, she accepted that the way her father lived would hurt, and the way he'd died would hurt. She could live with the bruises on her heart. Maybe she hadn't cried for her father, but a part of her still grieved, maybe not for the man he'd been, but the man he could've been.

She owed Ivan a good beating, for her father—she owed her father his revenge—and for attacking Fairy Tail. She touched the symbol on her hand. It wasn't just a pretty mark, it meant she was a part of the Fairy Tail family, and she refused to allow her family to be hurt again.

She swore that, on her honor as a Heartfilia, on her honor as a Star Guardian.

She stepped out of the bathroom and plowed right into Natsu. His expression made her heart, so light a minute ago, plummet.

"Oh, god Natsu." Her grip on her towel tightened. "What happened? Is anyone hurt?"

"No." He said and her knees nearly buckled in relief. There was anger burning in his eyes, though. "Ivan's sent a message. Gramps has ordered us all to the Guild. Get dressed. We leave in five."

Lucy had never dressed so fast in her life.


	18. A World of a Different Kind

They took her car. She didn't want to run all the way to the Guild, so she chose to drive. Natsu wasn't pleased, but agreed it was the fastest way. Vehicles could build up speed and travel faster into the pocket dimension that Fairy Tail occupied. Plus, her nerves strained by the thoughts of what Ivan could've sent. She wasn't sure her legs would hold her. What was he after? What did he want? Was it simple bragging? Or was he issuing a declaration of war?

Was Fairy Tail going to war, as she feared this was all heading to? She'd known it was a possibility. She'd had contemplated it before, but it seemed to real now, so much more possible. It scared the hell out of her, that possibility.

War meant blood and pain, courage and cowardice, fear and bravery.

War meant death. It meant sacrifice and loss. War left a stain on the soul, a scar on the land, a cloud over history. It meant battles, and strategy, ice-cold calculation, and red-hot determination.

She ground her teeth together, stepped on the gas. She tried to bury the thoughts plaguing her mind. If it came to war—please, no—she'd deal with it. She would fight if need be. She'd patch the wound and pray she wouldn't stand over anyone's grave. She'd pretend dying in battle was somehow better than simply dying.

Natsu's hand covered hers, a warm comfort.

"I don't know what you're thinkin' about," He said. His expression green with motion sickness, but his eyes were clear, and locked ahead. "but don't worry so much. We'll take what comes, and beat Ivan's ass into the next century if we need to. Fairy Tail ain't goin' down. Not without a fight."

She knew he meant to comfort. His determination was a slight balm on her worry. Yet, he had no idea that it was the fight that scared her. She'd never punched anyone, never caused anyone real harm. She wasn't sure she could do it. In her opinion, no one could know that. Not until they had no choice but to find out.

"I know." She said, knowing she had to answer. "But…I don't know if I can fight a war. I know I'm training, but…it just hit me, it's all so real. How can I deliberately hurt someone? How…how can I…" Kill. She couldn't say it. Wouldn't say it. She loved Fairy Tail, and she would defend them. But war meant death. She couldn't cause death. She wasn't capable.

She would die for Fairy Tail, but she wouldn't kill for Fairy Tail.

"What are you…?" It dawned, she could tell by the way his body jerked, his eyes went wide. He seemed to push the motion sickness aside. He turned to her, looked at her straight on. She watched out of the corner of her eye, her main focus the road. "Lucy. Luce, listen to me. Fairy Tail doesn't kill. This will most likely come to a fight, but we don't kill. You don't have to fight if you don't want to. You've been training to defend yourself. That's different than walking into a fight and starting it. No one's going to make you."

A weight lifted off her shoulder, the ache around her heart eased a bit. Relief was like cool water spreading through her body. She pressed the gas, speeding up the car that had slowed while Natsu was talking to her. "Oh thank god." She cocked her head, and reevaluated. No killing. That was what had been holding her back. Along with the dark thoughts in the back of her mind. How she could have lived with knowing her friends had taken lives? She felt ashamed now, thinking that they would do something so horrible. Resolve lit inside her. "I can fight. If it means defending Fairy Tail, making sure Ivan doesn't kill anyone, I can fight." The one could defend the whole, and the whole could defend the one.

Before Natsu could answer, Fairy Tail's dimension opened for them. It was a yawning portal that sparked around the edges. It vibrated with so much magickal power; Lucy wondered how humans couldn't see it. Couldn't sense it. They drove right into it, magick breathing around them.

The forest that was just before Fairy Tail was visible when everything went wrong. The portal slammed shut on both ends. The magick in the air went from a fit full breeze to full-blown storm. Her grip on Natsu's hand tightened as the car jerked and shuddered. Metal groaned and screamed. Natsu's head pitched forward, moaning. His motion sickness doubling from the unnatural movements of the car.

The portal, normally a short affair, lengthened. Violent bursts of magick shot around them. She didn't bother trying to steer or hit the gas. Magick may have respected progress and technology, but it still could destroy it on a whim. She leaned over the center console, in an attempt to get a firm grip on Natsu, but couldn't.

Something snapped, and the car tilted. It sent Lucy into the window and door on the driver's side, Natsu to the passenger's side. The car's roof bent in, while the floor bent out. It was as if someone had tried to break the car in half. Metal screamed and scraped, tore and shredded. Electrical sparked, and Lucy feared it would start a fire. The sickening scent of gas mixed with the various other fluids contained in a car assaulted Lucy's nose. Glass shattered.

The car buckled, and the sound of it was enough to have Lucy covering her ears. Natsu's must have been cringing; she couldn't see him to tell. The middle of the car crashed together. Effectively locking Lucy and Natsu into opposite side of the car. She screamed his name, feeling bits of metal and glass bite into her skin.

The car tore apart, flying through the portal, in opposite directions. Natsu shouted for her, but she had no air in her lungs to respond. Nothing remained of the passenger's side. It was nothing but metal fused by pressure.

Sprawled sideways over the seat, she tried to look for Natsu's half of the car. With the way it was spinning, and how fast she was moving, she couldn't catch even a glimpse. He'd yelled for her, she thought, when the car had split. He was okay enough to yell, and when he got the chance, he would simply melt his way out of the car.

Lucky bastard. He'd be fine. That was a relief to her. She just had to focus on herself. Her seat belt was missing, though she knew she'd had it on when they'd left. The light on her dash warned her that the airbag had malfunction. She didn't know how the dash lights were still working, but she had her suspicions.

Sabotage. Ivan was one-step ahead. He'd known. Known they would call a meeting if he sent the right message. He'd lied in wait, set a trap, and now she had to find a way out of it.

She slammed around the car, jerked and spun. Fear was ice on her heart and a sickness in her belly. She wasn't sure she'd survive this. Her breath gushed out as she was once again slammed against the door. Through what remained of the windshield, she saw an exit. It wasn't Fairy Tail's woods that loomed before her. She didn't recognize what wood peaked out of the portal, but she knew it was her stop. It wasn't like she could control where she was going.

When the car landed...no matter what way it did, she'd be done. She'd be like a bug crushed by a boot. Only she'd be a bug wrapped in twisted metal and covered in engine fluids. She would die, bloody and broken. But she was a Fairy Tail member, and by the gods, she'd fight with every breath she had. She wasn't going to lie down and die. Never. Not here. Not now.

"Fuck you, Ivan!" She screamed it, hoping he'd hear it. Praying it burned in his gut. She would not be a bug under his boot. If he thought of them as toys, as ants to crush, he was going to find out that these bugs bit back.

Hard.

She touched a hand to a key. She could only pray it was the right one. She called out as the car shot through the portal and spun towards the ground.

"Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!" She felt the dip in her magick, the signal that she'd completed the summoning. "Aries! Wool Bomb below me. Quick!" Lucy shouted, not even sure where the Spirit was, as there wasn't any room in the car for her.

Everything rode on Aries' wool being able to stop half a car from killing her on impact. She didn't want Natsu to find her broken body. She didn't want Fairy Tail to grieve, as they had once grieved for Natsu. No tears would fall because of her.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Came Aries's hesitant voice. She could only hope the wool on the ground would be enough to cushion the impact. She squeezed her eyes shut. Lucy shouted for Aries to get out of the way, and braced herself as best she could for impact.

There was no crunch. No instant of pain before darkness. No sickening squeal as metal bunched and broke, no glass exploding. She felt…comfortable. Soft. Safe. Somewhere in her mind, she wondered if she'd died. Would she see her mother?

"Miss Lucy?" Aries called and snapped Lucy out of her state of shock. She blinked her eyes open, and stared at the wool that filled the car. "Miss Lucy are y-you okay?"

Lucy let out a sigh of relief, and relaxed her tense body. "Yes! Oh, thank you Aries!"

"Sorry. I-I know you didn't ask me to fill the car…" Aries said almost too softly for Lucy to hear. "b-but it seemed the best way to keep you safe."

"No, you did great Aries! That was great timing. Thank you."

"I-I'll go now." Aries said after a moment, but to Lucy's ears, she sounded pleased. She was glad her shiest Spirit felt a little bit proud of herself. "So you can summon someone to help you out of the car. I'm sorry I can't do that!"

Aries was gone before Lucy could assure her that it was all right. The wool stayed though, and Lucy imagined it would only fade when she was free from the car. Mentally, she thanked Aries for keeping the wool in the car. She let go of Aries's key, and began thinking about who would be best for breaking her out of car. She couldn't tell which was she'd landed, not with the wool in the way. Nor could she tell whether the windows would allow her to get out.

"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"

"Hellllooo Miss Lucy…Miss Lucy?" Taurus called out. "Miss Luuuucyyy where's your boooddy?" She rolled her eyes at his perverted ways.

"I'm in the car Taurus!" She called out. "Can you use your axe to cut me out? Carefully!"

"Suuure thing, Miss Luuuucy!" She heard two hard, sharp swings but didn't feel any pain. She let out a small breath. She trusted her Spirits, but that was one big axe, and Taurus couldn't be sure where she was. Something crashed, and wool began to shift and pour out of the car. The car had landed window-side down, she saw now as light made its way in. Taurus had cut the roof right off. She rolled out, glad to be able to stretch out. Accepting Taurus's hand in helping her up, she ignored his perverted comments.

"Thank you, Taurus!" She said.

"Not a problem." Taurus looked at the car. "Hoooow did that happen?"

"Long story. Can you tell where we are?" Taurus looked around. The forest looked normal, but something felt off. It didn't smell right. She heard no birds, and no breeze flowed through the trees. Her spine tensed. Where the hell was she?

"We're in the Demon Realm." Taurus's voice took on a note of seriousness. Now her muscles tensed, to go with her ramrod straight spine.

Natsu had talked about the Demon Realm. Some places were densely populated, and much like a human city. Other places were rural, where Demons and other Mythics of all kinds roamed. Not all were friendly. Though it was rarely practiced nowadays, some Mythics viewed humans as food. While Lucy wasn't human, she looked like it. Her scent leaned more towards human than Mythic. Natsu theorized that her scent could be because she spent most of her memory in the Human Realm. Or, it could be because her species of Mythic-Star Child, Star Guardian, Celestial Mythic, whatever you called it-was closer to Humans than most other Mythics. Neither theory had any solid proof, but it was all he had.

Gajeel had warned her that rare Mythics, like herself, were often hunted by bounty hunters. Rare Mythics were like trading cards to sick buyers. He'd informed her, in his sarcastic Gajeel way, that she'd probably go for top dollar.

Not all buyers were Mythics. Some were Humans who knew about the Realms. They bought Mythics for all kinds of different reasons. Most of them not pleasant. From the looks of things, she'd landed right in the middle of a rural part of the Demon Realm. Dark Guilds and rogues ruled here. Law was hard to find, and friendly faces buried in the unfriendly ones.

While the Demon Realm mirrored the Human Realm in many ways, it was also very different. Most Major cities were in much the same locations. But the Demon Realm was far less developed than the Human Realm. Where scattered cities and rural towns dotted the Human Realm, there was nothing but forest and fields, mountains and streams in the Demon Realm.

Natsu had once told her that the Demon Realm had two sides. On one side, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the differences between Human and Demon Realm. Shops and malls were everywhere. Filled with different items, sure, but the concept was the same.

On the other, you'd think you'd stepped back in time. To a time where trees were taller than any building could dream to be. Where beasts bigger than any Human ruled, and survival of the fittest was law. A time when land was king, and fought over like two dogs with one bone. Entire kingdoms could occupy a forest, a mountain, a valley, and whoever held the keys to the castle was king.

Levy had said it was as if two places occupied the same time, but were nothing alike. Stand in one place in the Human Realm and you could be by a town. Stand in the same place in the Demon Realm, and you could be standing next to a centuries-old tree, towering high above, without a sign of civilization for miles. For all Lucy knew, she could be standing on her street were she in the Human Realm, but she would never be able to tell in the Demon Realm.

"Taurus, do you know of a way out of here?" She asked. Taurus shook his head.

Her hopes plummeted. She didn't know if her species of Mythic could break through to the Human Realm. Even if she could do it without someone invoking her name, she didn't know how. Natsu had promised to help her find out, but then Ivan had popped back into the picture.

"Sorry Miss Lucy, but I don't. I'm gonna goooo. Summon me if you need me. Be careful Miss Lucy!"

He faded. He'd left, she knew, to conserve her magick for if she needed to fight. She suspected she would. What had happened in the portal had been no accident. Ivan had planned it. For all she knew, other members of Fairy Tail were in different Realms as well. She hoped not. She hoped they were safe.

She hoped someone would come to help guide her out of the Demon Realm. With the portal down, she had no way out. Fairy Tail was there whenever you needed it, unless a vengeful Mythic turned it into a trap. There was no way Ivan had dumped her here, then let the portal be accessible. Of course, he had to dump her into the largest of the Realms.

Besides the Demon and Human Realms, there were smaller Fae Realms. They would either welcome other Mythics, or would attack intruders. No one could get into the Celestial Realm, so it wasn't an option for Ivan. No one knew how large it was either, Lucy thought. The Demon Realm was huge, and dangerous. Even an old hand like Gray or Gajeel could be in trouble if they'd landed in the wrong place.

Some Demons simply didn't welcome outsiders.

Nothing was truly safe in the Demon Realm. It was why many Mythics either tried to make their own Realms--which was damn near impossible to do--or went to the Human Realm.

The Demon Realm was vast. Many different species coexisted, but some places were known homes for certain species. Land in the wrong species' area, and it could result as a declaration of war.

She could only hope she wasn't in such an area. But considering Ivan had chosen this place, she doubted she'd be so lucky.

"So much for Lucky Lucy Heartfilia." She muttered to herself.

* * *

Natsu was pissed. His half of the car lay smoldering behind him, and the portal had already shut. Fire danced along his skin, making his snarling face stand out in harsh relief. He was shaking with anger. He couldn't stop it. Couldn't calm himself. Ivan had tried to kill him. Or was planning on it. Lucy was out there somewhere, maybe hurt—gods he hoped not—but she was alone. Her Spirits wouldn't know the way back home, not if she was in the Demon Realm like he was. It was too big, too _unpredictable_ to navigate with ease. Only the cities were safe.

Here, in the rough mountains that he knew the locals called _The Devil's Spine_ , it was far from safe.

Beasts, both known and unknown, ruled here. It was here, in these forbidden peaks, which whispers of dragons still held on. Even in a world such as this, where Mythics and legends of all types lived, dragons were rare. Rumor was, they had their own dimension, far removed from this one, and impossible to reach. Natsu didn't know if that was true. Igneel had never told him. He'd never thought to ask. He knew they could create their own dimensions to fight in. It wasn't a far stretch to a dimension, a Realm, to live in.

Right now though, dragons were the least of his concerns. Untamable creatures from one's worst nightmare lurked. His senses were on high alert, his mind working overtime to process every sound, every scent, looking for a threat. A growl escaped his throat, and his body shook with the effort it took to hold back the roar he wanted to loose. No Fire Dragon's Roar, but a dragon's _roar._ A challenge. A statement.

Defiance.

To issue it though, would send every creature within ten miles to him. They'd come looking for a fight. He couldn't afford that now. He had to find Lucy. Had to make sure she was safe, and get them both home.

Well, all three of them home.

"Natsu, are we where I think we are?" Happy asked. His little buddy had been silent on the car ride. Coming through the portal usually made Happy's ears hurt, something about the frequency of the magick got to him. It didn't affect Natsu though. It must've been just out of his hearing range.

"Yeah." Natsu replied trying to keep the anger out of his voice. It wasn't Happy's fault that this happened. He wasn't all that hurt, considering. Battered and bruised, yes, but he was mostly pissed. Fire swirled at his feet, but he took a breath and banked back the flames that were greedily consuming his anger. Instead, he focused on figuring out how to find Lucy. Knowing Ivan, he wouldn't have put them anywhere near each other. Hell, Lucy might be lost in some jungle in the Human Realm instead of in the Demon Realm.

But something in his gut told Natsu otherwise.

Ivan wouldn't have trusted the Human Realm to be dangerous enough to take down someone whose magick was so unknown. No, he'd trust ruthless Demons to do the job for him. Ivan wouldn't have to get his own hands dirty. Though Ivan was smart, and had great and terrible magicks at his disposal, one of his major flaws was he didn't like to soil his own hands. He considered himself…too great to deal with such matters as disposing of a few Mythics.

No. Ivan would only risk himself when he was sure Fairy Tail was on its knees. When the strongest members were nothing but memories or simply too weak to fight. Then he would walk onto the battlefield, armor untouched, and magick winging out as if to showcase his power.

When really he'd done nothing but send pawns to do his job for him.

A growl ripped from Natsu, past his control, but it was low, and it felt good to release a bit of his anger. He sniffed the air, blocking out the scent of gas and scorched metal. He focused on the magicks that thrummed in the air. The Demon Realm may be vast, but for one with his senses, he could find his way around. Magick wasn't beyond reason. It had a beginning and an end. A start and a finish. It swirled in the grass, crackled in the wind, beat in the rocks and flowed from the trees. It was a heartbeat in the living, a cold, deep pool in the dead.

Water was so full of magick; those who commanded and lived in it seemed to be made more of magick than flesh.

If he focused right, listened right, he could find Lucy, no matter how many miles away she may be.

Happy was silent while Natsu concentrated. With Natsu so focused on what might be over the next mountain, he could miss what was right next to him. Happy's job was not to distract his partner, but also to keep an eye for any potential bad guys that lurked nearby. By feather and wing, Happy circled above his partner, looking for movement. Predators moved in smooth, calculated steps, meant to eat up distance while remaining invisible to their prey. As there was little vegetation for anything to sneak up on Natsu, Happy was more concerned about predators that flew.

Or the ones that could simply melt out of the earth, as silent as a shadow.

Some Mythics could blend into stone and rock, becoming one with them. It meant that any rock could potentially hide an enemy. Happy wasn't about to let his partner down.

Natsu was flying. Soaring over hills impossibly green, by mountains impossibly high. Magick was an invisible ocean in the air, with deep currents and hidden depths that could swallow one whole and leave not a ripple to be found. Magicks great and small mingled here, whispered here. Every ripple had a source, tree or Demon, and could be traced back to what had sent it out.

One only had to find it.

He stopped, and opened himself to the magicks around, looking for the one that he sought. He couldn't rush. If he did, her magick could slip by him. His saving grace was the fact that her magick was different from most. A little brighter somehow. Her magick was rare, and so, easier to find in the vast ocean he searched in.

Her rare magick would lead him to her, but he doubted he would be the only one to sense such a different magick in the flow of the Demon Realm. He just had to find her first.

* * *

Lucy really wished she had a map. Or at least a compass. The wood she wandered through seemed to suck up the light, and leave her confused as to where she was. She'd found no stream to follow, no paths in the woods that might lead to shelter.

She knew that when people got lost they were supposed to stay where they were. But the car had been like a giant blinking Neon sign saying "COME CHECK THIS OUT." The smell of gas, the flash of her magick, and the car hurtling out of the sky were sure to bring curious Mythics around. There was no guarantee that the Mythics that had come to check out the car would be friendly. In fact, chances were, they wouldn't be.

So that had left her only one option. The woods. She had to keep moving, and hope she didn't run into anyone. Or anything. She'd done her own reading on the Demon Realm, and not everything in it was humanoid. She thought about the beast that had slain her father. Something like that could lurk in the shadows, following her scent. She didn't have Natsu's senses, and could only hope there would be some form of warning if something did try to attack. Animal tracks littered the forest floor along with leaves. The trees varied from simple maples and oaks to ones she had no name for. The tracks were the same, some were deer's cautious paths, others were huge, and unidentifiable to her inexperienced eye.

She wanted to follow the deer's paths, for they were the easiest way through the forest, but she didn't think they'd lead to civilization. Plus, walking on what was a well-known prey animal's route seemed to be asking for some giant woodland beast to attack.

So she kept moving, avoiding suspicious-looking plants and bushes with thorns meant to shred one to bits. The wind kicked up, and something foul rode on the frisky breeze. Something in her gut tightened. She quickened her pace, her hand on her keys. They hummed in her hand, calming her. Rotten meat, she realized, identifying the scent. Meat brought out predators, and she didn't want to become prey.

Hopefully the meat would keep….things, occupied, and she wouldn't have to face off with something just yet. She didn't want to face the creatures of the woods, and be too weak to handle the beasts that walked on two legs. She couldn't afford to fight senseless battles, as they drew too much attention. The longer she went unnoticed, the better.

The scent faded, though she couldn't be sure if it was from distance or if it was because the wind had calmed. A squirrel chittered in the trees above, and she hoped all those horror movies were right, and the forest quieted when a predator was near.

Something growled behind her. The squirrel shot to another tree and vanished.

_Damn you, Hollywood._

She turned slowly, her heart stuttering in her chest, and adrenaline was an electric shock to her system. The beast behind her had eyes the color of emerald leaves, and was no bigger than a normal wolf. Still huge, she acknowledged, but it could be worse. Its coat was gray, dappled with blacks and whites, with a shot of brown here and there. In its eyes, worlds seemed to spin. It stood, eyeing her as she eyed it. Its ears twitched, and it breathed, but it didn't growl again, didn't bear its teeth.

Was it simply wondering what she was? Would it walk away, curiosity fulfilled, and no harm done? Surely, if it wanted to attack her, it'd have done so before she'd realized it was there? She took a cautious step in retreat. She touched her whip, preparing to defend herself if need be. The wolf—for she didn't know what else it could be—tilted its head as if confused. A howl echoed through the trees, surely sending the unseen squirrel into a tittering panic.

The wolf sniffed the air, sent back its own howl, gave her one last look with those emerald eyes, and trotted away. She let out a breath, and continued on her way as soon as her heart settled. It was an odd encounter, but she supposed not everything in the woods was hungry for blood. Wolves hunted to feed their bellies, not for the want of spilling blood and causing mayhem. They simply wanted to survive. Maybe the wolf had seen that was what she wished for as well.

She kept her eyes peeled for more animals. That wolf had been no more than twenty yards away, and she'd had no warning. She wanted to find Natsu. He'd be company if nothing else, and she could really use his senses now.

Besides, she knew she could count on him.

Plus, he owed her. She'd saved him from a prison, the least he could do was save her from this freaking forest!

The sun was dipping low, she saw now, and it jolted her. How long had she been wondering around? How long had the portal bashed her around? She wasn't, by any means, a woodswoman, one used to the rhythm of the forest, able to identify tracks and such. Even so, she knew many predators were nocturnal, and that wandered around at night meant more of a chance of running into things like the wolf.

Wolves lived here, she thought, and they were normal enough. But this was a world full of magick, so much so it seemed every breath she took was laced with it. Undoubtedly, creatures the likes of which the Human Realm had never seen roamed here. She had no desire to meet them. She had no shelter to hide in; she couldn't make a fire for fear of attracting Mythics. She wasn't helpless, but she didn't exactly have an advantage here either. She let out a breath and centered herself. She wouldn't die here, and she wouldn't be the damsel in distress.

She would get herself out of this.

Night was falling fast. She couldn't stop that. Couldn't stop the predators that were beginning to lurk in the shadows. But she could prevent herself from being dinner. What she needed to do first was get some form of light, so she could keep moving. She took out her whip, and gave it a low level of magick. As she'd hoped, the tip glowed, letting out a circle of light. Okay. Light, check. Plus, since it was her whip, she could use it to defend herself if needs demanded it.

Next, she needed to find a way out of this damn forest.

Oh, well, _duhhh_. She took out a key, and thinking herself stupid, called out her compass, Pyxis.

He came in a little puff of smoke, and her relief was huge. It was, she thought, stupid of her to have thought of the Zodiac spirits before the silver ones, and forget one as helpful as Pyxis. Stupid and wrong. She could blame it on inexperience, for she'd never been such a situation, but she needed to suck it up and realize that she'd let fear rule her, and hadn't thought of the obvious. Her spirits weren't a crutch, but friends that wished to help. She could only hope the magick she'd used wasn't enough to send out a beacon.

Using Pyxis, she realized she was heading West. She hummed in her throat; wondering if would be good to keep this direction, or to shift to another. She had no idea if a safe place was nearby, or if she'd wondered away from help. She looked to the mountains that loomed above, shadowed by the falling night. Away from them, she decided. Away from the mountains and the woods that hugged them like skirts. This entire area felt raw and untamed.

A place where wolves held no fear of people.

So she had Pyxis point her Southeast and hopefully towards safety. He stayed with her, company well welcomed as the night came to life. Cicadas sent out their relentless song, and fireflies flirted in the dark. She heard the wolves, well off now, and their howls seemed to hang in the air.

The woods were as alive at night as it was in day, and things both identifiable and unidentifiable filled the shadows with sound. Owls hooted, and the prey they caught screamed. Coyotes, their higher, more dog-like cries, chattered and barked. Something she thought might be a fox yipped. The sounds she knew were both creepy and comforting.

The sounds she didn't know sent fear up her spine, and pooled ice in her gut. Something that sounded like a huge wolf howled, and the coyotes quieted instantly. A scream rent the air, like a child caught in a bear trap, and had Lucy's heart slamming against her ribs. She'd nearly run to the sound, before she remembered the cougars sent up a call like a scream.

If that was a cougar, it was huge.

Still, it was the sounds that couldn't be linked with a forest animal she knew that caused her the most fear and anxiety. Something called; caught between howl and scream, between wolf and cat. Something roared, and brought images of dragons into her head.

She moved through the woods, wishing she could walk without stumbling over log or rock, as even with her light it was hard to tell what was what. The faithful Pyxis stayed by her side, guiding and calming her. His time was nearly up, she knew. Spirits couldn't stay in her world for long, lest they fade into nothingness. Finally, finally, they came upon a stream, and Pyxis bade her farewell, assuring her the stream meandered southeast.

Alone, the sounds seemed more menacing, and she had no one to speak to, to help calm the nerves that danced along the skin.

She walked along the stream, even though her feet were starting to ache, and her legs burned. She took a second to drink from the stream. It ran swift here, and her thirst was too great for her to care about diseases that may lurk. Refreshed, she slipped off her shoes and took a minute's break, soaking her feet in the water. She just had to stay alive. Someone would find her. They wouldn't find her cowering, but instead fully determined to protect herself.

In the dim light of her whip, with the stream soothing her feet, she felt the weight of the long day drop onto her shoulders. She had to sleep, but she didn't know where. She made herself stand, made herself slip her shoes back onto her feet. She took another drink, and forged ahead.

* * *

Natsu's luck was rotten. He'd been searching for Lucy's magick, had been buried so deep in magick his body had thrummed from the power of it all.

And this _bastard_ had to interrupt his concentration, _had_ to start a fight, even after Happy had warned him off.

The guy wasn't evil, or insane, just _seriously bored._ He'd given Natsu a bunch of information Natsu didn't care about. He only cared that the guy had never heard of Ivan Dreyar, or of Fairy Tail for that matter—that had stung—and wasn't actually planning on killing Natsu, just using him for some entertainment. Normally, Natsu would oblige and happily kick the guy's ass if it made him feel better, but he didn't have time for that!

It was dark now, full on dark, and things were awake now that could spell serious trouble for Lucy.

"Go away!" Natsu shouted, plowing his fist into the guy's face. He hadn't actually caught his name, only that he smelled of the caves that dotted the mountain, and of the dirt he'd tended for food.

"But this is fun! I've been so bored." Annoying Guy stated his pale face a study of pure happiness.

"Find someone else to play with! I've got a friend to find."

"Hide-and-seek, huh?" Annoying Guy seemed to find that a grand idea. "Two games at once, this brawl here, and one in the woods? I like your style."

"I ain't playin' around! I'm going to kick your ass if you don't leave!" Natsu was getting frustrated. Everything was a game to this guy. Nothing was serious.

Except games.

"New game." Natsu declared suddenly, causing his opponent to skid to a stop. "I'll fight you more, _if_ you can find something…special."

"Do tell."

"Find me a purple flower that smells of fresh fish, and is one inch from petal to petal. It's a rare type of plant that can attract any fish to your hook."

"Ah! A seeking game. You favor those. I'll be off!" Annoying Guy took off at a run, and Natsu grabbed Happy and took off in the opposite direction as soon as the guy was out of sight. He found a more secluded spot, one harder to reach.

"Natsu, you know that flower exists right?" Happy had found it once and had cheerfully used it to catch whatever fish he pleased for two days before it wilted.

"Yeah, but grows at the base of the mountains, and only at certain times of the year, and its real finicky about soil and such. It'll take him hours to reach the base of the mountain, if he even thinks to look there, and as he doesn't have my nose, he can't sniff 'em out. We've got time."

He had to find Lucy, before something in the night found her first.

* * *

Could wondering around a magick forest at night make one go insane? Lucy felt it could. It was either she was going insane, or her exhaustion was catching up with her, because she could _swear_ something in the wind was talking to her.

Well, not so much talking to her but….nudging her. Whispering just out of her hearing. She'd been walking, her body tense and aching, when something in the air had changed. She could smell something but couldn't identify it. A different kind of magick stirred, as if her feet against the ground had kicked it up. It was ancient, she noted, powerful, and she couldn't figure out if it was friendly. Something in her gut longed to follow it, to curl up in the magick and rest, safe and sound.

She thought it a trap. Her walk in the woods had been far too easy, far too simple. If Ivan wanted her end, why hadn't he dropped her in the middle of a beast's lair? Or given some tribe of rogues her scent, her description, and sent them after her with a promise of a large reward?

Unsure and suspicious, she ignored the call and kept moving.

A stick snapped under her foot, and eyes glowed in the dark, predatory yellow. Something snuffled behind her, and a hyena's cackle echoed to her side. Her heart fluttered in her throat, and she knew the fear of being prey.

But this prey fought back.

Before anything could pounce, and before she'd made the conscious decision, a key was glowing brightly in her hand.

"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!"

He came with axe in hand, a shout in his throat, and a grin on his face. He smacked a creature aside, something that looked like a hyena but not. Granted, her only hyena knowledge was from _The Lion King_ , so it could very well be a normal hyena.

Her whip extended, and along with Taurus's axe and the moon, she was able to see the creatures with some clarity. The hyena, for she had no other term for it, stood from where it landed, and seemed to grin at her. Intelligence danced behind malice, and she knew these animals weren't ordinary.

"Be careful, Miss Luuucy." Taurus warned. "Something isn't right abooout them."

"Yeah, I know." She said slashing her whip across the side of a bear-like creature. For a minute or two, she and Taurus were doing well. His axe and brute strength worked well with her agility and strategy, and it seemed the creatures were falling back. Her whip slashed, and she even kicked at a few. Taurus's axe flashed with both magick and moonlight, and had the beasts whimpering.

Then, the ones that had fallen stood again, black magick darker than any shadow flowing into them. They shuddered, and their eyes went black as pitch. Their power was both black and terrible, and highly unnatural. Taurus's axe connected with one of the dark ones. The gold from his ax faded, and his magick faltered. His form shimmered. He jerked back.

"Send me back Miss Luuucy!" She obeyed without question, terror soaking her heart. His gate slammed closed, and she stared at the creatures in horror. She'd _felt_ Taurus's life force fade, felt his magick drain like a sieve, and seen the terror in his eyes. Yet his _I'm sorry Miss Luuccy_ hung in the air even after he'd gone.

She brushed a hand against his key, and hoped he was okay. These creatures weren't ordinary. They had to be Ivan's creations. She thought back to when Laxus had attacked the thing that had killed her father, and how someone had said that lightning blast should've killed it.

Apparently, Ivan could make his creatures specific to whom he was attacking. Lightning-proof for Laxus.

Celestial Spirit proof for her.

She didn't dare summon another Spirit, though she felt Loke's key vibrate. She touched it, ordered him to stay, and could only hope he obeyed. The creatures were closing in, and she had a feeling her magick was just as vulnerable as her Spirits were. Still, her whip snapped out.

"I am a member of Fairy Tail! I will not give in to the likes of you." She cracked her whip against the snout of the closest beast. She watched in horror as her whip's magick stream flickered, her magick took a hit. Her mind raced with choices, but she had no time to think of plan as a beast leaped, and sent her to the ground. _Fleuve d'étoiles_ sputtered out, leaving her defenseless. Her magick shuddered, the contact making her reserves start to drain.

She gritted her teeth, and flung an arm out, punching the beast in the eye. Her leg came up, and she kicked its underbelly. It yelped in shock, and she took the opportunity to push it off. Before she could get to her feet, another was on her, and her magick couldn't take much more. She struggled, screamed as the hyena laughed out, and seemed to enjoy her fear. She found a rock and began to beat on the beast with it. Still, when the hyena leapt off, another of Ivan's creations took its place.

Something rose in her, something that shoved past the fear and panic, and fueled the determination to survive. It fed on it and grew. The air went heavy, and knowledge whispered in her mind.

" _Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens_..." Natsu's magick, the magick he'd used to stop her body from boiling all those weeks ago woke, and snapped out, sending out a wave of fire that caused the creatures to retreat a bit. She stood slowly, magick pulsing from her. " _All the stars, far and wide...Show me thy appearance. With such shine._ " She didn't know where the words were coming from, and she couldn't identify the voice in her head that was telling her them. " _Oh Tetrabiblos...I am the ruler of the stars...Aspect become complete...Open thy malevolent gate._ " It was too much. Too much in her body, her mind, her heart. She couldn't handle it. Didn't know how. But the words kept coming, the magick kept building. The light got brighter. " _Oh 88 Stars of the heaven...Shine!_

 _"Urano Metria!_ "

Light exploded and burst around her, and Ivan's devils screamed in agony. Magick, the likes of which she hadn't known she'd held within her, sparked and flew. In her, out of her, from the air, from the sky. Her keys burned against her side, and it seemed as if she were on fire. Balls of light, bright as any star, scorched through the night, searing the beasts and leaving nothing but ash.

It was over as quickly as it had begun, and she felt hollowed out. Nothing was left. She fell to her knees, and then onto her face. She lay there, shuddering with the force of the magick she'd unleashed, and trying to get her breath back. No dark stain lurked in the night now, and the cicadas were still singing.

Weak, and dizzy with it, she heard the whisper of the ancient power, found herself standing and following it. She moved as the old did, each step carefully measured, each step a victory. She didn't have the will to ignore the call, and something in gut knew she was in no danger. Ivan's creations were heavy, dark smudges of magick, and while this was no holy light, it was far from Ivan's pit of hell.

She stumbled on some rocks, barely caught herself, but kept moving. With the old magick buzzing in her ears, she entered a warm cave.

Dropped onto the woven mat on the floor, and fell instantly to sleep.

* * *

Natsu's eyes snapped open, and he looked out at the tower of light that shot towards the stars. A thousand voices filled the air, and he didn't need his connection to the magicks of the land to know that the light was from Lucy. He leaped up, and ran towards the light, Happy at his side.


	19. Dragon's Roar

Magick roared over the land, brighter than a thousand stars. Voices whispered in the wind, just too low for one to understand. The stars in the sky seemed to sparkle brighter, and the constellations pulsed. The moon, bright and pale, seemed to glisten.

Natsu noticed all this and was both impressed and confused.

 _What the hell did Lucy just_ do?!

The amount of magick she'd unleashed was insane, and he could still feel the after effects in the air. There was no way she'd be conscious after a spell like that—seriously where had she  _learned_ that? He had to get to her before the braver Mythics decided to investigate.

And investigate they will.

* * *

Lucy's dreams were bright and vivid, full of magick and fire. The very ground trembled in her dream, and magick permeated the air like fog, thick and foreboding. No fear spread through her stomach like ice though. She recognized some of the magick. Natsu's magick, bright and full, yet young. Untapped potential rang out with every practice strike of his fist.

A voice that made the air tremble laughed and Natsu sent a wide grin over his shoulder.

The dream shifted to bright, bright stars, and a night like black velvet. She sat above the trees, on her back, and watched the stars as they pulsed and twitched. No planes marred the perfection of the night stars, and the only winking moving lights were that of the meteors that flashed across the sky. The night was warm and seemed to hug her. Her keys flashed in the dark as if communicating with the stars far beyond Earth.

Here was peace.

* * *

Happy set Natsu down at the edge of a grove of trees older than the rest. Strong magick, old magick, seeped from the ground, from the trees, from the air, and through the water. Lucy's power mixed with that which rose from the grove, mixed with the magick that Natsu knew better than his own.

 _Igneel_.

The name whispered in the breeze, in a language lost to time, but Natsu understood in his heart, in his blood. This place was holy. It was a dragon's lair, a place of magicks both great and terrible. He wandered around the outside, looking for where Lucy had cast the spell. He ignored—though it cost him—the mutterings that called to him, asking him in.

He needed to find Lucy.

_There!_

About fifty yards from where the edge of Igneel's den boundary lay, was a Magick Seal. Cut into the ground, burned there, was a perfect circle. Writing older than time flowed across the ground within. With its tips touching the inner circle, a star dominated the Magick Seal. It was elaborate, and, Natsu new, powerful. Most spells left no mark of the Seal behind.

"Lucy did this?" Happy asked sounding amazed and concerned.

"Yeah." Natsu frowned. If Lucy had done this, she couldn't have gone far. Had she been taken despite pulling out a spell of this magnitude?

"I didn't know Lucy could do this."

"Neither did I, little buddy."

"Well, she can't be far. She's probably tired. Can you smell her?" Happy asked flying above the Magick Seal as if to get a better look. Natsu lifted his nose into the wind, trying to smell beneath the magick. All he could smell was Igneel and Lucy, Lucy and Igneel. The smells mixed, along with the heavy scent of both of their magicks.

"No. Too much magick in the air." Natsu scanned the forest, his sight burning through shadows. Happy flew low, trying to pick up tracks. The dark was deeper now, though, as if the stars had given their all tonight, and had nothing left to give.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Holy…." Magick ripped through the night, causing Gray to stop and stare. Things hadn't been going well for him, what with Natsu and Lucy vanishing without a trace, Gajeel being sucked up into the portal and swallowed whole…

Oh, and the whole-Ivan's-going-to-destroy-Fairy-Tail-one-by-one-thing hanging over his head.

Yeah, it had been a bad day.

At least Juvia was okay.

The portal in and out of Fairy Tail was closed and unusable, so Gray had nothing to do. He couldn't try and find Natsu, Lucy or Gajeel. He could only sit and go not-so-quietly  _mad._

At least the giant wave of magick was interesting. He couldn't  _see_  the cause, but all the stars in the sky were beating like a heart, and the entirety of Fairy Tail had gone silent in its wake. At least, he thought so. He couldn't hear voices spilling out the open windows anymore, so he assumed they felt it too. It was kind of hard not to. He'd been walking, for lack of something better to do, and he was grateful for his excellent timing. It was over as quickly as it had started, but not so quickly, that couldn't identify the magick.

" _Lucy?"_ Gray muttered to himself incredulously. She'd barely dipped a toe into magick, and she was pulling  _this_ off? What the hell was going on?

Wait.

If Lucy was in enough trouble to pull this out of her hat…

Then where the  _hell_ was Natsu?

Gray gritted his teeth in frustration and sprinted back to the Guild. He could hear voices starting to rise as people started to question what they'd felt. They'd figure out a way to help Natsu and Lucy and then find Gajeel. If Fairy Tail had to go out…

It would be with a bang, not a whimper.

* * *

Natsu always hated hide-and-seek. He'd never seen the point of hiding behind a damn tree and pretending it was fun to found. Plus, with his senses, it was too damn easy.

Lucy made it ridiculously hard.

"How did she go so far after what spell?" Natsu demanded to no one in particular because Happy was looking elsewhere. The older part of the forest was still calling to him, but Lucy couldn't be in there. No, she had to of gone elsewhere.

But  _where_  was  _elsewhere?_

"Natsu! I found a Lucy print!" Happy called to him suddenly.

"Nice spottin'!" Natsu called as he sprinted towards Happy. There, on the edge of Igneel's land, was a footprint in the softened earth.

Leading straight into Dragon Territory.

"Natsu, I thought you said a Dragon's territory was protected by strong magicks and only certain people can get in." Happy seemed to be pouting. He'd always wanted to explore Dragon turf, but Natsu figured his little buddy might not be able to get in.

"I guess the spell is weakened?" Natsu muttered. Something painful slammed around in his gut. Igneel's power shouldn't be slipping so quickly. Four hundred years was nothing to a dragon, and a dragon's magick could linger thousands of years after the dragon's death. With a stone in his heart, he stepped into Igneel's land. Thousands of memories flashed through his mind, some simple scents and sounds, others full-blown movies in his head. His nerves tingled and sent shots of pain throughout his body, a reminder of the  _years_  he'd spent training.

Training with Igneel, with such joy in his heart that he'd barely felt the scrapes and bruises that came with such activity.

His senses were overloaded for a second, scents of Igneel and other dragons filled his nose. Roars filled his head. Though he didn't move, his feet, bare, rough, and small raced across the forest, wild as any dragonling. His own small, high roars echoed in his skull.

Years passed by in the blink of an eye.

Then it was simply the night, with cicadas singing and the scent of dragon thick in his nose.

"You okay Natsu?"

"'m fine," Natsu said moving forward now at a brisk pace. "I think I know where Lucy is."

Natsu followed paths forgotten and moved through the woods with fluid ease. Happy was silent. Finally, they reached an outcrop, one of the bigger foothills that lead up to the mountains. Surrounded by trees older than Natsu, the cave that stood out like a scar in the rocks was both mystical and foreboding. Inside, he was sure Lucy slept.

He made quick work of climbing up to the cavern and wondered how Lucy had made it so far. Had she had help? One of her spirits? The cave was huge, which was no surprise, considering it was a dragon's lair. It went deep into the earth, and a steady heat permeated the walls. Warm on cool nights; just cool enough on blistering summer days, and a sanctuary in winter. Their footsteps echoed around them. Just around the bend, on an old pallet, Lucy slept, pale and exhausted.

Natsu sighed in relief, glad his hunch had been correct. Happy, tired himself, curled against Lucy, and fell asleep as well. Natsu sat, and watched as they breathed.

 _Igneel,_  he thought,  _thank you._

* * *

 _Everything_ hurt. There was a steady throbbing in her head, and her muscles ached. It felt like she'd set her insides on fire and hadn't bothered with a fire extinguisher. Her eyes felt seared, as if from a bright light, and her memory was foggy. She remembered stumbling away from the monsters and curling up in the cave that had seemed to call her name. Something warm was curled next to her, snoring lightly.

With a little groan, she opened her eyes.

And felt them widened in pure shock.

Above her, larger than life stood a dragon as red as flames. Scars marred its scales, and it watched her with eyes that gleamed of intelligence. He bent forward—to sniff her, to eat her, she didn't know—but then it started to vanish. Scale by scale, it faded from being, until all that remained was Natsu.

Natsu, who was now waving his hands in front of her face.

"W-what?" God, even her throat was sore!

"Geez, way to stare at nothing, you weirdo," Natsu muttered but she was the relief on his face. A grin split his face. "Happy to see me?"

"No—well, yes—but there was…a dragon." Lucy muttered blinking rapidly. The pain was fading, and she began to sit up. Happy stirred beside her.

"A dragon?" Natsu's voice was sharp.

"Yeah. Big. Red." She rubbed her head. Man,  _was_  she going insane? Natsu's sandaled feet slammed onto the ground, and his eyes scanned the area around them.

"Tell me." There was something in his voice, something strained. She took him through what she'd seen, telling him how it had simply vanished. "Igneel." She barely heard the word, barely heard him utter it. Shock ripped through her. Igneel was  _dead._  How….how had she'd seen him?

More importantly, why hadn't Natsu?

"Natsu, I'm…I'm sorry." She didn't know what she was apologizing  _for,_  but she felt it needed to be said.

"It's not your fault Lucy." Natsu mumbled. "I'm just glad you found this place. I gotta know." He looked at her now, his face a study of childish annoyance. "How did you pull off that spell? I've been training since I was a kid, and you get some awesome spell in a couple of weeks? So not fair."

"What spell?"

"The one you used last night." Happy said. Lucy cracked her back—it was stiff—and sighed as the last of the pain vanished. "It made the stars go really bright, and shot magick everywhere."

Lucy's mind went blank. She remembered feeling her magick rise up, remembered speaking words that had come from elsewhere. Then, she remembered making her way to the cave and collapsing onto the pallet.

"I…I don't know," Lucy admitted, she told them what she remembered. Natsu groaned.

"You get some awesome spell, and  _you can't remember it?"_  He demanded.

"Looks like." She muttered, bummed herself. According to Happy and Natsu, it had been a  _hell_  of a spell.

"Typical." Happy sighed. "Nothing is easy for Fairy Tail, is it?"

"Hey, that's what makes it fun!" Natsu grinned. A howl rang out, long, high and bone chilling. Natsu's grin turned into a scowl.

"Oh, tons of fun," Lucy said staring at the light that drifted in from the entrance.

"It can't get us here," Natsu said. "Igneel's magick protects this place still." He turned to her, his expression back to annoyance. "Speaking of, you shouldn't have been able to get in here."

 _Man, moody much._  Lucy thought. "I don't know how I got in here. I just did. It was like it was calling me."

Natsu pulled to her feet and leaned his face close to hers, keeping his grip on her hand firm. She leaned back, but he simply leaned forward. She could see the gold flecks in his eyes clearly, and her heart was fluttering like a trapped bird in her chest. She could see the details of his face in stark detail. The carved cheeks, still just a touch gaunt. His skin, tanner now than it had been.

His mouth…

He sniffed her.

_He sniffed her._

"Oh, I get it now!" He let go of her hand and, overbalanced, she fell on her butt. She glared at him. She could've sworn that Happy giggled.

" _What_  do you get now?"

"Remember when I gave you some of my magick so you wouldn't burn to a crisp?"

As that was the day she'd let a  _demon_  into her home, she didn't think she'd forget.

"Yeah."

"Well it's still in ya," Natsu grinned. Lucy blinked, and a flash of memory flickered back to her. Fire spreading out around her, sending the monsters back a precious few feet. "Since it is, the magick here recognized it, and let you in."

"Wow, Natsu!" Happy said. "What a detective you are!"

"Thanks, little buddy!" They high fived, grinning like fools.

"Wait." She said and told them of the fire that had protected her. "How did it do  _that?_  I'm not a fire Mythic."

Natsu cocked his head, Happy, who sat on his shoulder, did the same. They were silent a long time.

"No idea." Happy finally said.

"No clue!" Natsu concurred.

"Thanks a lot." She groaned. Something outside sent up a roar. Shouts and shimmers of magick beat against the barrier. "Wha?"

"We're surrounded," Natsu informed her. He didn't seem too concerned.

"Tell me this cave has an emergency escape route." Natsu looked at her, offense written across his face.

" _Escape route?"_ He said in a horrified tone. "What kind of pansy ass dragon do you think Igneel  _was_? He didn't need no damn  _escape route._  Dragons don't retreat."

"Riggght." She said. Oh boy. Looks like they were fighting. Wait… "Natsu can't you go into the Human Realm on your own now?"

"Well yeah." He said as if she was stupid. "But I can't take you or Happy with me."

"There are no hitch hikers in cross dimensional travel." Happy informed her sagely.

"Well couldn't you go through and get someone to help Happy and I get back?"

"Nah," Natsu said. "Well, I guess I could. But there's no telling where I'd end up in the Human Realm. Plus, I'm pretty sure the portal to Fairy Tail is still broken, so I couldn't go there. We're on our own." More roars, howls, and sounds Lucy had no name for echoed into the cave. "Alright, time to shut them up!"

"Natsu, what are you—" He ran towards the cave entrance and left Lucy with no choice but to run after him. Happy rode on her shoulder now. Natsu stepped out on the rocky outcrop, his legs spread as if braced for impact.

"You may want to cover your ears." Happy informed her, his ears already clamped shut with his paws. Lucy, figuring there wasn't time to ask why simply covered her ears.

And not a moment too soon.

Natsu took a deep breath, his shoulders thrown back. He leaned forward and  _roared._  No fire, just pure  _sound._  The ground shook, the air vibrated with the sound. Even with her ears covered, Lucy's knees gave out, and the sound echoed in her chest. She slammed her eyes shut and every thought drained from her head. Pebbles jumped around her, and boulders trembled. Happy slipped from her shoulder and buried his head into her neck. She curled around him.

 _Thank god, he's on our side._  It was the only thought that could work its way through the sound.

The roar was raw, untamed, and reminded many a beast of a time when dragons ruled and their power was unbeatable.

It reminded others of the chance to challenge such a creature.

When it finally ended, her ears rang. She could only wrap her arms around Happy, and take slow, even breaths.

"Come on." Natsu's voice sounded low and quiet. He picked her and Happy up and jumped off the rocks. "We have to move." She curled into his chest, waiting for the ringing in her ears to stop, and for her legs to stop feeling like jelly.

"W-what was  _that?"_ She asked a few minutes later.

"Dragon's Roar." He said. "It scared most of 'em off. Your ears alright?"

"I think so." She looked at the ball of blue fur in her hands. "Happy?"

"I'm okay." He said stretching out. "Man Natsu, that's louder than it was before."

"You think so?"

"My ears rang for ten minutes!"

"Wow! That's a record."

"You can, uh, put me down now," Lucy said after a moment. Natsu grinned at her.

"This is faster."

"Where are we going?" Happy asked as Lucy debated on how she could get down. She wasn't  _that_  slow.

"There's a city where this creek joins the river," Natsu said. "We should be able to get ahold of a friend to get the portal to Fairy Tail working again."

"How far?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, thirty miles, maybe." Natsu hummed.

" _Thirty miles?"_ Lucy shrieked. Dammit, Ivan!

"Yeah…" Natsu looked at her sheepishly. "We've got another problem. See, Dragon's Roar scares a lot of Mythics and such away. But it can also attract things that think they can challenge a dragon."

Lucy's face froze, and every drop of blood dripped out of her head.  _Things that think they can challenge a_ dragon?! What crazy things thought they could do  _that?_

"So you scared away all the weaklings…and attracted the stupidly strong things." Lucy summarized.

"Pretty much."

Lucy's head hurt and her mouth worked as she tried to think of a response. It was such a Natsu move.

"We're gonna die." Lucy moaned.

"Aw, Luce! Don't be like that." Natsu sounded positively cheerful. "We'll be okay."

"Dead."

"Alive and kicking!" As if to emphasize it, he jumped and did a kick, with her still in his arms.

"Don't pull stuff like that when you're holding me!"

"You're not  _that_  heavy!"

"You bet I'm not!"

"Then what're you worried for?"

"Just don't do that when you're holding me!"

"Why?"

"You  _liiikkeee_  each other."

"Shut it, cat!"

* * *

_Fifty years ago…_

In a dimension beyond reach, power thrummed. Smoke filled the space, a wide, wide pass of open blue sky over a sea of rock. Standing among the destruction, stood a man. Standing over the man was a giant hulking figure, blood dripping slowly from its wounds.

"Well." The man said with a sigh. "I done fucked up."


	20. Enemy of the Dragon

Lucy had never been one for camping. It wasn't something her father had been into—he'd have thought she'd lost her mind if she'd mentioned it. She'd never seen the point in pitching a tent and roughing it for a couple days. What was the appeal? If she wanted to see the stars, she'd lay a blanket outside.

Plus, where would she  _pee?_

Natsu, however, seemed to enjoy it. They'd been moving fast all day, Natsu's nose twitching like a damn rabbit's, and Happy keeping an eye in the sky. (He'd finally let her down, and her face had burned for a good while after he had). She'd kept watch too, but between Natsu's nose and hearing, and Happy's eagle eye, she doubted she'd sense something before they did.  _Things_  had sent up calls, things that sounded big and powerful.

She hated the way the sounds echoed through the trees and the odd thrums of power that would accompany them. Natsu changed directions many times, avoiding them. She wasn't sure if he was avoiding them because it was smarter to avoid a fight until necessary, or if he was worried he wasn't strong enough yet. He hadn't really had a serious battle to test his strength since he'd been back. He'd only scared a few minor Mythics and beasts out of the way. Lucy didn't even want to think about how many miles they must've walked. Her legs burned enough as it was.

Now though, they finally had a break. A fire crackled in front of her, and dusk was falling. Natsu had chosen a place closer to the mountains. It was a sheltered alcove, surrounded by rock and tree. It felt good just to relax.

"We made good progress," Natsu said with a grin. He was eating something he'd caught. It was a lizard of some sort. He'd given Lucy something similar, but she'd tried not to look at while she ate it. "We went only like, ten miles though."

"You're slow Lucy!"

"Hey! You try walking in heels!" Lucy was a champion of walking in heels. Heels, however, were so not made for the forest. They kept sinking or catching roots. She wondered if walking barefoot would just be easier. She worried though, about stepping in something gross or getting a thorn.

"I don't get why girls wear them." Natsu's brows furrowed. "Even on flat ground, they seem like they'd hurt."

She was not about to admit that sometimes her ankles wept when she'd been in heels too long. "They're not that bad." She sighed. "But a good pair of boots would be nice." And a change of clothes, she added silently. She hated being in such dirty clothes. But in her mind, she could still see the tattered rags that Natsu had worn for centuries, and couldn't bring herself to complain.

"Next time," Natsu said absently.

"Next time?" She repeated. "Do you mean you plan on having us stranded in the middle of the Demon Realm with no way to get home,  _again?"_

"No." Natsu rolled his eyes. "I meant, when we go on a job together again, you'll have to wear boots."

"You're really sure we're going to get out of this."

"Of course we will." Natsu's expression went hard. "I didn't come back after four centuries just to let Fairy Tail fall to Ivan."

"Aye, sir!"

Lucy smiled. Well, when he put it  _that_ way. She was about to ask him who they were going to for help—he'd told her to ask him when they weren't on the move—when she found herself crushed to the ground. Natsu's weight was hot and suffocating, and she was pretty sure she had grass in her nose. The ground trembled, magick roared, and something screamed.

They rolled, and Natsu popped up like a spring. Lucy locked eyes with a beast as big as a house. Its eyes glowed yellow, and green saliva dripped from its maw—with was lined with many, many teeth. Terror rose. She couldn't move. Could barely breathe. Happy sat beside her, petrified, and shaking like a leaf. It was long and snake-like, built for speed and slipping through trees despite its length—three hundred feet of killing power. The green salvia fell to the ground, where it boiled and festered like an infection. It ate away the ground like battery acid.

 _Great,_  she thought,  _I'll melt before it can even eat me._

She had a feeling that  _this_  was the type of creature that would challenge of a dragon. Natsu shoved her and Happy, breaking their eye contact with the beast.

"Don't look it in the eye!" He commanded. Lucy grabbed Happy up on the fly, her heels—which she'd unbuckled—slipped off as she dove behind a tree, barely dodging a spray of acid.

"What  _is that?"_ She yelled. Happy answered.

"A drakon." His voice was small and terrified. "They're older than dragons. They were around  _before_  dragons. According to myth, dragons and drakons fought a great war, long before other Mythics came about. Locked in battle, both of their numbers fell. They both became rare. Drakons haven't been seen in…well, since before the faeries disappeared."

"So, um,  _can_  dragons beat drakons?" Lucy could only watch as Natsu launched a fire dragon's roar at the drakon.

"Well, yeah. I think." Happy's voice quivered. "Not really sure how."

"Great."

Natsu was doing his damnedest, but it didn't seem to be doing much. The drakon barely had a scratch. She didn't know if he was still weak, or if the drakon was simply too powerful. She gritted her teeth. She couldn't let him fight this thing alone. He was a dragon demon, but he wasn't a  _dragon._  She grabbed a key, tamped down on fear, and summoned a spirit.

"Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!" Gold light flashed, and Loke stood at the ready. He turned to smirk at her—probably going to make some smart comment too, she thought. But he caught sight of the beast, and his jaw simply dropped.

"The trouble you get into." He breathed. She shook him.

"Don't look it in the eye!" She commanded. He shook his head as if to clear it, gold glinting from his hands.

"We can't beat this, you know." He told her. His smile turned feral. "But we can make it hurt!" He jumped into the fray. Her heart shot into her throat when Loke charged the drakon, trying to find a chink in its armor, and blasting it with the Light of Regulus.

She grabbed her whip—what a stupid weapon to fight a  _drakon_  with—and snapped it against the beast's snout. Natsu growled eyes lit with some inner flame. His fists gripped together, fire spiraling from them, and he slammed it against the drakons' chest. Loke had gotten on its back somehow and was currently annoying it.

He reared back and slammed a fist into the drakon's eye.

Or tried too.

The drakon's tail came around and swatted Loke as if he were a fly. The lion spirit flew off and crashed into a grove of trees.

"Loke!" Lucy cried, but the drakon crashed its foot down, upending rock and tree and sending them crashing back to earth, Loke in the center of it all. She felt Loke's gate open and close and knew he was recovering in the spirit world. She'd thank him later. With Natsu and the drakon locked in combat, Lucy took a second to evaluate the situation, trying to think past the bone grinding fear and the sickness that ate at her gut.

Okay. Big scary lizard. Enemy of dragons. No easy weaknesses and eyes that can freeze one with fear. Acid spit, and sheer size on its side. On top of that, it was quick despite the size, and flexible. Fire seems to have no effect. Indeed, Natsu's attacks seemed to only annoy the beast, but Natsu was upping the power with each attack. She refused to believe he couldn't even make a dent.

What he needed was an opening to power up an attack, without worrying about being stepped on or melted.

Loke had gone for the eyes…

"Open! Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius." Another spirit appeared at her side, this one in a horse suit.

Don't ask.

"Sagittarius! Can you hit it in the eye without getting frozen?" Lucy asked. He hummed, drew his bow back.

And closed his eyes.

Just as she was about to demand how he was supposed to shoot with his eyes closed, he released the arrow, just one, and had her heart stuttering in her throat.

Don't hit Natsu.

The creature screamed, reared back, and Lucy dared to look at its face. Blood the color of rust mixed with gold poured from the wound. The drakon's eyes were closed, and one would never open again.

"I'd say yes, my lady!" Sagittarius bowed and said something along the lines of 'moshi moshi.' She could never really figure out what he meant.

Natsu roared with triumph or glee, and a tower of fire shot into the sky. The drakon opened its good eye and fixed it on Natsu. Natsu, however, didn't seem to care. It roared back at him, and magick sparked in the air.

Lucy slid backward from the force, and the temperature rose. Happy emerged from wherever he'd hidden, and clung to Lucy's leg. She scooped him up and hugged him close. She could  _see_ the magick in the air, and where Natsu's and the drakon's met. The air boiled and rolled, and seemed to try to pull itself apart. Natsu moved a blur of fire and headed for the drakon. As he moved forward, the magick wall moved back, towards the drakon. The drakon planted its feet and readied itself for impact. The way it moved struck Lucy as faintly arrogant as if it didn't really believe that Natsu could harm it.

"Crimson Lotus! Exploding Flame Blade!" Fire spun and twirled a beautiful and deadly dance. Natsu planted his feet and let the flames collide with the drakon. Lucy used one hand to cover her face, and her body curled around Happy without thought. Heat exploded. A shockwave cracked out, knocking her feet out from under her, and slamming her breath from her lungs.

Then all was quiet.

After the moment of eerie silence, her ears started ringing. Her chest heaved, demanding air. Her lungs finally opened, and she gasped and coughed.

"H-Happy?" She asked. She couldn't tell if he was still in her arms.

"I'm alright Lucy." His voice was young. "But you gotta look at this."

"Huh?" She sat up, pushing the hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her eyes. The drakon still stood. It seemed impossible, but it did. One eye was shut tight, dried blood gluing it. The other was only open half way, but Lucy didn't look at it too closely. It still lived, its tail snapped and cracked to show its anger. It hissed, and, Lucy noted, not all from anger.

From pain too.

Its chest, broad and heavily scaled, bore the marks of flames. A few scales had cracked, and it was breathing heavier than usual. One forelimb was scorched black and seemed to be useless.

Natsu stood in front of the beast, breathing as heavily as the drakon. His clothes were torn, and his body battered. Yet he was grinning, wide and bold.

"Not so tough as they say, huh?" Natsu laughed. "Man, no wonder you haven't been seen in millennia. You've been too ashamed to show your face!"

Lucy could've cheerfully slapped him. Didn't he realize he'd put  _everything_  into that attack? That he didn't have anything left to give? Her spirits couldn't defeat this thing. Nothing but a dragon could.

And she was fresh out of dragon celestial spirits.

"Is he crazy?" She asked aloud, not really expecting an answer. Thankfully, nothing answered her. The drakon seemed to be recovering from shock, its pain fueling its anger. It's foot, which had seemed useless, slammed onto the ground, creating several new boulders and sending many a tree crashing to the ground. It roared, and Lucy wondered if her ears would simply shatter.

With blood crusting its eye, and burns scattered around its body, it was three times as scary as it was before the fight. Now it looked battle hardened.

And damn near-impossible to beat.

Natsu's grin faded, and something about the look in his eye scared Lucy more than the drakon. A power danced along his magick, a power she'd never felt mix with his before. Fear slicked down her spine, but she couldn't figure out  _why._  Natsu didn't scare her. She trusted him.

So why were her palms damp?

"Natsu, no." Happy whimpered. Tears glistened in his eyes. "There has to be another way!" He was shouting now, but Natsu didn't seem to hear.

Power built again, crackling in the air. The forest was a battleground now. Trees were splinters, rocks shrapnel. Where there had once been a dense grove of trees older than Lucy now lay rubble. Fire smoldered and acid bubbled. It looked like one of those post-apocalyptic movies, where a nuclear explosion had wiped out everything and left only mutants and monsters. Lucy didn't know why, but it was starting to look like a scene out of the  _Fallout_  series.

Maybe it was the whole nuclear apocalypse thing.

And she, without any bottle caps.

Laughter wanted to burst from her throat, but she had a feeling that it was hysteria. Talk about up shit creek without a paddle. She wasn't sure how they'd get out of this. She'd die fighting though.

She reached for a key, wondering if one of her spirits could create a distraction to allow them to get out of this. She fingered a key and wished for water. Rejecting that idea, she reached for Aries. A wool bomb might just be the ticket here. She charged her magick power, Natsu his, and the drakon as well. Magick sparked in the air, and that weird rift in the air returned.

This time though, it burst open, magick exploding outwards.

Her hand slipped on the key before it was fully free from the chain, and once again, she was blasted backward. She wasn't alone. The drakon and Natsu were shoved in opposite directions, and more trees fell.

The air settled, and Natsu let out a hair-raising growl. The drakon returned it. Natsu's magick changed more. She could feel the pulse of it. It unsettled her more than the drakon. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up and trying to figure out where she'd landed in relation to Natsu and the beast. They were both up and heading for each other before Lucy could even reorient herself.

Her vision cleared just in time to see a burst of magick and Natsu and the drakon go flying apart again. A man, cloak billowing out around him, had a hand towards each of them. Her eyes wide, she wondered who'd stepped onto the battlefield. She'd never felt his magick before.

And holy Mavis it was powerful.

Natsu's head popped up from a drakon made pothole, a stunned, but happy grin on his face. The strange magick had faded from him.

"Why is it that you can never stay out of trouble?" The cloaked man asked. His voice was cool as a summer breeze. He was staring down a drakon, Lucy thought in wonder and didn't even quiver.

"It tends to find me," Natsu answered.

"Magnet for it, I swear." The man said. The drakon growled at the new challenger, still ready for battle. "Listen to me, Natsu. Get the girl, and run for it. This lizard is going for a ride." Natsu let out a whoop, raced over and grabbed Lucy before she could puzzle out what the man meant by 'ride.' Happy flew above them, wings flapping furiously. Lucy ignored the stones and branches that took advantage of her unprotected feet.

She had no idea what was going to happen. Natsu hadn't even argued! Normally he was like a child when it came to being told what to do. Now, he seemed gleeful.

They stopped on a ridge, and Lucy felt her jaw go limp. The drakon seemed inches away from simply swallowing the man whole. Just before the teeth closed though, power punched out from Mr. Cloak. It was so sharp and powerful she felt it from where they stood. The drakon roared. The ground started to disintegrate, making a deep crater around the man. The drakon lifted from the ground. The magick stopped for a second, and the drakon began to fall back to earth.

Magick power punched out, screamed, and sent the drakon into the air, into the sky, and away.

He hadn't defeated it, Lucy thought, but when it finally landed, it'd been hurting.

"Old man Gildarts still has it," Natsu said with a laugh. Lucy could only stare.  _That_  was Gildarts? Cana's father? The god Gray had spoken of? Natsu raced down the hill, and Gildarts walked towards him. Lucy and Happy followed Natsu, Happy cheering and calling for Gildarts the entire way.

They met in the middle. Lucy expected Natsu to stop, to thank Gildarts for helping. He did neither. He kept going until he slammed into Gildarts in a flying hug that had the taller man laughing. Lucy got closer and realized Gildarts was crying. They were hugging, Lucy noted, like father and son. Gildarts pushed Natsu back as if to get a better look at his face.

"You gave us the scare of a lifetime." He said. Then he grabbed Natsu and began to give him a noogie.

"Hey!" Natsu protested.

"I missed four hundred years of this." Gildarts scolded. "Suck it up." He stopped though, and then just looked at Natsu. After what seemed like a lifetime, Gildarts enfolded Natsu into another hug. "I thought we'd lost you." She couldn't see Natsu's face, but his hands were gripped white on Gildart's cloak. "We need to get moving, but when we stop for a break, I demand that you tell me everything."

"Sure thing," Natsu said. His voice seemed scratchier than usual. "Um, you remember Happy, right?" Gildarts simply rolled his eyes. "Right. Um, this is Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." Gildart's eyes flashed with knowledge at the name, and she saw his eyes flick to her belt. But he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at Natsu. "Finally got yourself a girlfriend, huh?"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Lucy protested. Natsu simply grumbled.

"They liiiikeee each other." Happy snickered. Gildarts let out an appreciative laugh and rubbed Happy's head.

They started moving again, moving briskly through the woods. Gildarts and Natsu kept up a near constant conversation, speaking of shared memories and happy moments. They didn't speak of Natsu's four hundred year absence. Lucy listened in, giggling to herself as they recounted stories. Sometimes they didn't speak but walked together as if they were simply drinking up the other's presence. It was obvious to Lucy that Gildarts was a kind of surrogate father to Natsu.

When they finally stopped walking, Lucy's feat ached as they never had before. She'd never walked barefoot through the woods before. She could walk miles in heels, she thought as she rubbed her soles, but the woods were another story. Her feet were coated in tree sap. She'd had to stop several times while walking to pull a thorn out of her foot. Her feet were not built for walking in the woods.

She'd never wished so hard for a good pair of hiking boots.

The fire was nice though, and it was great to be able to sit down. It had been silent awhile when Gildarts shifted forward and locked eyes with Natsu.

"Spill."

Natsu poked at the fire with his hands, staring into the flames. He began his tale, starting with his battle with Zeref. He added details he hadn't said before, seemingly unashamed to tell Gildarts of his fears and the moments in battle where it had seemed he would lose. He told Gildarts how hard it had been to end his brother. How the power to end his brother scared him. E.N.D. E.N.D.'s power was nothing to play with.

Lucy had to wonder if it was the power of E.N.D she'd sensed before Gildarts had saved them.

Natsu kept going, his eyes focused on the fire. He paused often as if he was looking for the words to tell his tale. Lucy knew he was better with actions than words. Gildarts, though, often filled in the blanks, helping Natsu find the words he needed. He seemed to understand what Natsu was trying to say even when Natsu couldn't put it into words.

He told Gildarts of his time in prison, and though he didn't say much about it, Lucy knew that Gildarts could read what was unsaid. That Natsu had come close to giving up. Natsu brightened when he told Gildarts of when Lucy had moved into the Human Realm's version of his prison. He'd been able to leak some power out and communicate for the first time in centuries. Lucy chimed in now, telling it from her side of things—the strangeness of finding out she shared her house with a self-proclaimed demon.

They told Gildarts of the night Natsu freed himself, how she'd invoked his name and nearly burned to death in the process. They then skipped ahead and told Gildarts about Ivan. How he'd killed Lucy's father and sent them into the Demon Realm with no way for all of them to go home.

"Hmmm." Gildarts leaned back, seemingly in thought. "Natsu could technically leave. His name's been invoked, so he can move through the dimensions freely, provided Ivan hasn't set up some sort of booby-trap. But I don't know if Star Guardians need to have their name invoked. Plus, since you've never moved through the dimensions before, you could hurt yourself. Or end up on the wrong side of the world." Gildarts shook his head. "No. Natsu's got the right of it. Ultear should be able to help you."

"Ultear?" Lucy tried the name on her tongue. It sounded familiar.

"Gray's sort of sister," Natsu explained. "She's his teacher's daughter. She's half snow goddess and half time lord."

" _Time Lord?"_ Lucy demanded.

"Yeah." Gildarts cut in. "I don't know the whole story, but apparently Ultear's father was a time god or something. Anyway, she inherited both of her parent's magick. She can use Ice-Make magick as well as Arc of Time."

"Arc of Time is super rare." Happy chimed in. "It allows the user to speed up or slow down an objects time to their will. She can make a tree revert back to a seed, or make it grow to full size in seconds."

"How does that help us?"

"Time magick, when used, creates a slight disturbance in the fabric between dimensions," Gildarts explained. "She can focus that, and rip holes through dimensions. Portals. She can send us back to Fairy Tail."

"It's like having a third magick." Happy put in. "The power to move other people through dimensions is no easy task. The portal to Fairy Tail is a rare magick too. Anything to do with cross-dimensional magick is rare and powerful magick. It's why something like your keys Lucy was considered a myth. No one thought one person could rip a hole in a dimension, let alone summon a person through it."

"Ripping holes in dimensions is dangerous," Gildarts said. "Something I recently figured out for myself."

Natsu's eyes sharpened. "You finally gonna tell me why you smell of dragon?" Gildart's grinned.

"Your nose is sharp as ever." He stood, and threw his cloak back. Lucy's jaw dropped when she finally realized what she was looking at. Gildarts was mash-up of metal limbs and bandages. One arm and leg were metal, his stomach a crisscross of bandages. She was sure other wounds were covered by clothing. She couldn't understand how someone had survived such wounds. It seemed impossible.

_Smelled of dragon._

Lucy made a small sound in her throat when she realized that Gildarts had faced a dragon. And a dragon had caused these wounds. Happy had sucked in a breath as well, but Natsu's face was a mask.

"Where?" He asked. "How?"

"Round about a century ago I went on a job." Gildarts didn't cover his wounds as he spoke. Lucy's mind was running wild with scenarios. He seemed to know how powerful his words were when the wounds were on display. It made it seem less like a story and more like a nightmare. "It was meant to be a long one. You know that I like long jobs, Natsu. Well, around fifty years into this one, I accidentally pushed into a different dimension. A dimension no man, mortal, demon, or god was meant to enter.

"It was a realm of dragons." Gildarts paused and Lucy could barely breathe. "A realm made by dragons, for dragons. I still don't know how I managed to get into it, or why I wasn't killed on the way. Inside this dimension, it was obvious a battle had raged. Fire was everywhere. Where there had once been a mountain was rubble. Blood stained the ground. In front of me, injured and near death, stood a dragon. I don't know how it was still alive. It was missing a forelimb, and blood dripped from wounds I couldn't see.

"This dragon looked like a nightmare come alive, and despite being near death, managed to nearly kill me. It cut off my arm and leg in a flash, had me gutted mere seconds after that. I didn't stand a chance. I fell to the ground, and I wasn't able to hold my presence in the Dragon's dimension anymore. I fell in between. Between the realm of demons and the realm of dragons. Porlyusica, being, well,  _Porlyusica,_  found me, healed me the best she could. She couldn't pull me back into the Demon Realm, but she could give me metal limbs." Gildart's face broke out in a wry grin. "Don't understand it myself, but that's the way she works."

"H-how did you get out?" Lucy whispered. Her mind was full of dragon. The drakon had been bad enough. Images of dragons, each one scarier than the last, danced in her head.

"Natsu," Gildarts said. "that's how."

"Uhhhh." Natsu looked confused, finally showing expression. "How?"

"As fun as it is floating in nothingness," The way he said it implied that it  _wasn't fun at all_. "I was looking for a way out. When your magick and the drakon's combined, it gave me something to hook my magick into. Gave me a place to break through."

"That's how you got there without me smelling you," Natsu muttered.

"One more thing." Gildarts waited until the attention was on him again. "The dragon that attacked me? I'm sure it's Acnologia, the dragon of the Apocalypse."

"But my dad killed him!" Natsu protested. "He told me he defeated him!"

"'Defeat' and 'kill' are two separate things," Gildarts said. "I'm sure that dragon is a shadow of its former self, but to someone like me, it's still powerful enough to kill me." Gildart's face darkened. "And, I don't think it's going to settle for dying in a dimension no one can reach. I think that if it's going down….it's going to take as many people as possible with it.

"That dragon is trying to break free, and if it does, it's still got enough power to cause devastation."

Lucy could hear her heart pounding. Dragons and drakons, curses and demons, evil wizards and prisons. Her life was nothing like it had been a mere two months before. Sometimes she felt like she had a handle on her new life.

Other times, like now, Lucy felt as if she were going under for the third time…and she may not ever reach the surface again.

She didn't know how they did it. One minute, they're talking about dragons seeking revenge and annihilation. The next? They're making jokes and picking on each other. Happy joined in too, telling Gildarts of funny things that had happened in Fairy Tail since he'd been gone. Natsu told jokes he'd learned in the Human Realm, and Gildarts either stared blankly at him or roared with laughter. Watching them, Lucy realized their relationship was deeper than guild mates.

Here were a father and son that shared no blood, no last name, but managed to be closer than blood parents and children could dream of being.

It made her ache for her father, for the bond they'd never had the chance to have.

"Sooooo Lucy," Gildarts said suddenly, sounding sly. "According to Happy, you and Natsu have been hanging out a lot." His eyebrows wiggled, and his grin was this side of evil. "Am I going to be invited to a wedding soon?"

Lucy stuttered and blushed, shaking her head no rapidly. "No. No. Natsu…and I are…friends. That's all."

"Are you coming with us to see Ultear or are you going to make your own way back to Fairy Tail?" Natsu interrupted. He either had ignored Gildart's questioning or it simply hadn't registered in that dense head of his.

"I'm going to tinker with the portal, see if I can't get it working again," Gildarts said. "But I'll stay with you guys a few more miles. Keep ya out of trouble."

"Sweet!" Natsu grinned. "When we've beat the crap out of Ivan, I want a fight Gildarts!"

"You're on, kid."

Lucy considered going against Gildarts akin to suicide, but Natsu didn't seem to care. Plus, she doubted Gildarts would hurt him too much.

She just kind of wondered what Gildart's definition of 'too much' was.

Conversation tapered off, and Lucy found herself curling up on a patch of dirt slightly softer than the rest and drifting off. As she drifted, Natsu and Gildarts starting talking again. Soft whispers, with the shorthand that came from knowing each other for years. Natsu pointed at the sky, where stars were just starting to wink to life.

She fell asleep looking at the constellations.

* * *

Lucy dreamt of stars. She dreamt she  _was_ the stars. She was made of pinpricks of light, set in a velvet sky. At dawn, she danced. She stepped out of that velvet black and flowed from stars to Star Child. The light and heat of a thousand stars beat inside her, a millisecond off from her own heartbeat. She was golden skin, star fire hair, with eyes of brown earth.

There was no point of being a star if there was no earth. There would be no star children if there were no Earth for them to walk on.

She wore a dress knit from the velvet of the night and the colors that started to bleed up from the rising sun. Moonlight, growing ever weaker, flickered across the fabric, gentle to the sun's brilliance. She danced a dance older than time. Generation to generation, mother to daughter, daughter to son, son back to daughter. Her feet were bare. The dirt felt like silk to her ethereal feet. She was made of dreams and light, of wishes and hope.

She was despair and pain, a desperate with upon a star. A plea.

She was happiness and utter devastation.

She was a shooting star, fleeting and falling.

She was a star far from the world, sending its light in hopes of being seen. Of giving one hope or joy.

Her dress changed patterns and colors as she moved. Her hair was a silken cascade of warm light.

She was between the realm of the stars and the mortal realms of earth. She was stretched between these worlds, desperate for balance. She was the living embodiment of the star's wishes. She was their connection to the earth they couldn't touch, to the world they could only see.

She was a Child of the Stars; she was the Guardian of the Celestial Realm. She was both warrior and peacemaker. She was fear. She was bravery. She was the stars, and they were her.

She was a goddess and a human. Such was the way of those who were both of this world and not. She had the power of galaxies at her fingertips, yet she was weak as a babe.

This was the way of the Star Guardians.

She woke with tears in her heart and fire in her soul.

* * *

Natsu and Gildarts obviously enjoyed each other's company. They included her, asking random questions and keeping the mood light as they walked through a wood that held things beyond imagination. Things that wanted to kill them. If the boys had idea of the dream she'd had during the night, they didn't show it. The dream had been vivid. She'd  _felt_  like a piece of the stars.

Her soul had both longed to return to the stars, and stay on earth.

Unsettled, she did her best to laugh at jokes or make some of her own. With the dream haunting her, her father's death still a rock in her heart, and the threat of Ivan pressing down on her, she wondered why she didn't simply shatter.

It was getting hot. Magick and humidity surrounded them. Lucy's hair stuck to her neck, an itchy irritation. Her clothes felt too tight, and though she drank plenty of water, her throat felt forever parched. She felt wrong in her own body. She couldn't figure it out if it was leftover from the dream or the ungodly heat.

Natsu seemed unaffected. Gildarts, to her surprise, was. He wasn't as miserable as she—or if he was he hid it well—but she could see the evidence of sweat around his hairline.

She wondered why he didn't take the cloak off.

Happy, however, was the one who complained the loudest. He was either a withered form on Natsu's head, or flying sluggishly, a pout on his lips. Lucy wanted to comfort him.

She also wanted him to  _shut up._

They stopped finally, sooner than usual because of the heat. They chugged water, but no one started a conversation. It was too  _hot._  They'd fought a few minor beasts, but since their encounter with the drakon, nothing big had attacked them.

Leaning against a log, in the blessed shade, Lucy began to drift. The heat was making her sleepy, and sleep felt much better than facing yet more walking.

She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. It was hard to tell. Everything felt real and fake all at once. She was the stars again, but it wasn't dawn. She couldn't dance. She couldn't free herself from the velvet sky and become the Maiden of the Dawns.

She was simply one piece of the whole.

Someone was coming through. Far closer than anyone from earth had ever managed. His features were blurred but sharpened quickly. It was Natsu, but he looked different. Wiser.

More powerful.

He could touch the velvet sky. She shuddered as the sky rippled like water. He reached again, his hand an invitation. He swept against the black again, the dark of the sky.

And connected with her hand.

All at once she was solid, no longer a floating entity among the stars. Her hand was tucked into his, and he pulled her gently away from the stars.

Her home.

Her heart.

But her soul was that of the earth, and she went with him willingly. He pulled her from the stars, and her bare feet stepped onto the rough ground of the earth. She could feel it now, truly feel it. She could feel the rough bark of a tree; feel the sting that was a stone jabbed into a foot.

She was no longer another mind among the stars. She was the bridge between.

She was Lucy Heartfilia, Traveler of the River of Stars, Holder of the Celestial Keys, Heart of the Stars, and Soul of the Earth.

She lived.

She died.

An endless cycle.

A part of her wondered how this life would end.


	21. Blood of the Fairies

Fairy Tail was quiet. Worry was like breath, anger seethed in almost visible waves in the air. Emotions drawn close to the surface had magick sputtering out at the slightest provocation. Gray had iced over his table enough times that people had stopped sitting by him. Juvia had to keep melting herself in order to stay by him. Cana had thrown her cards at the wall so much that people were avoiding her table  _and_  the wall beyond it.

She threw hard, and those cards were made to withstand a beating.

Several people were in the infirmary; Wendy had removed several cards that had impaled people. No one had lost an eye.

Yet.

Cana's frustration came from the fact that she couldn't figure out where anyone was. She'd tried to search for Natsu and Lucy but had gotten not even a vague clue.

She'd tried searching for Gajeel, and the cards had turned to ash.

She'd tried Gildarts. Nothing. Alzack and Bisca had tried to call, but the connection was so spotty it was impossible to tell if they were fine or in need of help. Cana couldn't divine them either. Several other people were missing as well.

Freed had been at the library when the call had gone out. Laxus figured he'd gone into the portal and had gotten lost like Lucy and Natsu.

His absence from the Thunder Legion was like an open wound. No one dared go near Laxus, for fear of being fried. Bixlow seemed seconds away from simply imploding. Evergreen had already turned several well-meaning people into stone. Only Mirajane could get close to the three of them.

And no, Cana couldn't figure out where the hell Freed was either.

Elfman and Lisanna were fine, for which everyone thanked the gods for, because a worried and pissed off Mirajane was something no one wanted. No one had seen Romeo since the portal was closed. Macao was a worried mess.

Levy sat in a corner, surveying the silent chaos. Her eyes hurt from holding back tears. She would not cry over that stupid, egotistical, metal-brained,  _dumbass._  When they found him—and they would  _find him_ —she'd kick his ass. She'd fry him for worrying her so much. He'd just  _had_  to see what was wrong with the portal. He'd just  _had_ to get to damn close.

He'd just had to push her aside when the portal went crazy. He'd just had to allow himself to be taken to not-even-the- _fates_ -knew-where.

Jackass.

Fairy Tail was at a standstill. The only way out was blocked. The magick around the portal had been turned against them.

Master was ill.

It was something no one even wanted to think about. But the second the portal had gone haywire, Master had gone pale and suddenly seemed his impressive age. Wendy was trying, but she needed Porlyusica's expertize.

And Porlyusica couldn't be reached or found.

The heart of Fairy Tail was suffering, and all the members were feeling the ache. Levy had buried herself in books, looking for an answer. Looking for a way. There was nothing. Books and text and scrolls had failed her. Creating pocket dimensions like the one Fairy Tail resided in was a rare and ancient art, lost to time.

There was no known way to  _make_  a pocket dimension, let alone  _fix_  it.

Leave it to Fairy Tail, to break the unbreakable.

Because really, who  _else_  could break space and dimensional magick that was thought impossible to destroy?

So Levy sat, without book or scroll, and no Freed to discuss possibilities with. No Gajeel to be her wall of solidarity. Jet and Droy were okay, which eased her burdened heart, but there were no words of encouragement that could break through the very solid wall that was blocking Levy from figuring this problem out.

Levy McGarden had failed.

She stood, gritting her teeth and slipping out of the great hall. Jet and Droy followed. She bypassed the library and went instead to the basement.

Levy McGarden had failed, her ass.

There were texts and scrolls down here, in a room that Freed used to keep all of his research. There were things down here that no one knew existed. Some were as yet untranslatable. Others dealt specifically with the ancient Faeries that had vanished so long ago. Some were simply old texts that Freed had found fascinating.

Freed also made it clear that anyone who entered without permission would meet his battle form up-close and personal.

Levy opened the door and damned the consequences.

* * *

Lucy was back to wondering if walking in a Demon infested forest could make one insane. Gildarts and Natsu seemed unaffected, but then, Lucy reasoned, they were already at the edges of sanity. Happy was a cat, and she wasn't sure if cats could go insane.

She, however, most definitely was. Her dreams, for one thing, couldn't be normal. They'd felt so…vivid and real. But how could someone, even a Mythic, be the bridge between the freakin' stars and earth? How did that make any sense?

Oh, yeah, and the fecking wolf was back.

The best part? Natsu, Gildarts, and Happy claimed not to see it.

She couldn't see how they couldn't. It was walking next to her like a trained dog. His eyes, still as vividly green as she remembered, were scanning the woods. She didn't know how the wolf could sense danger before Natsu could.

Especially a wolf no one else could  _freaking see._

Oh yeah. Lucy Heartfilia had officially lost her mind.

After she'd first mentioned the wolf to the others—with a shocked gasp—Lucy had kept her mouth shut. No amount of telling them to stop play acting had gotten them to admit a wolf stood by her. Natsu had even checked her forehead as if she was running a fever and was hallucinating. So she just pretended it wasn't there. Natsu sent her an appraising glance every now again, and Happy snickered under his breath, but no one had brought it up again.

They were getting ever closer to Ultear's, a fact that which made Lucy both happy and worried. Sure, they could get to Fairy Tail…but how could they  _fix_ the portal? Surely Ivan hadn't allowed it to return to normal. He wanted to break them or kill them. There would be no easy way out.

With Gildarts with them, it seemed that the beasts were hesitant to attack. He emanated a strong magick force. Lucy was sure he was doing it on purpose, to ensure nothing tried to attack.

Still, it made Lucy wonder about Ivan's plan. Surely if he'd wanted them dead he'd have sent something to kill them while she and Natsu had been separated. And certainly, he hadn't planned on Gildarts showing up. Surely if Ivan had something like the Drakon up his sleeve, he'd have played that card sooner? That was, of course, assuming Ivan had sent it.

The only thing of Ivan's Lucy had seen were the beasts that had attacked her before Natsu had shown up. She hadn't seen anything of his since.

If he wanted them dead, why wasn't he trying to kill them?

So far it had been taunts and games. Threats and a single bomb.

So far, only one person had died by his hands. Lucy made herself think of it clinically. Her father was a show of power. He was proof that Ivan was serious, and that no one would be spared. In a way, her father's death was Ivan's declaration of war.

So why hadn't the battle started? Why hadn't Ivan launched a single decisive attack? Tricks and games, Lucy thought. It was all tricks and games. Even this. Close off the portal. Cut Fairy Tail off from the rest of the world. Away from help. Take a few members to try to kill morale.

And hey, if a few of those members died along the way, no harm done to the master plan.

So what  _was_  the master plan?

Ivan wanted Fairy Tail destroyed. He wanted to humiliate them. He wanted them to beg, wanted Makarov to watch his children fall.

"Ughhh!" Lucy wanted to bash her head against a tree. "What does the bastard  _want?_ "

"Lucy's talking to herself!" Happy said fearfully.

Gildarts eyed her up carefully like a man did before approaching a dog that may or may not bite. "What does who want? The wolf?"

"Please don't tell me the wolf is talking to you Lucy," Natsu muttered. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I'm not talking about the wolf." She said in exasperation. She was not insane! "I was thinking about Ivan." Their expressions cleared into understanding. "It just doesn't make much sense," Lucy continued. "He says he wants Fairy Tail to fall. He sends my father as a sort of declaration of war. But he waits weeks after shocking us by killing someone under our own roof. He sends a message, which makes Master call everyone back to the guild. He messes with the portal, sending us and whoever else into different places. He lets us wander a forest, one I've never been in before but doesn't launch an immediate attack. He doesn't try to keep Natsu and I apart and doesn't send anything until those beasts attacked me outside of Igneel's land. We can't be sure he sent the drakon, and he sure as hell didn't expect Gildarts. Gildarts is, I'm sure, a wrench in his plans. But that still doesn't explain why he didn't try to kill us before Natsu and I found each other.

"If he wanted to have a prayer at killing Natsu, he'd have to send a really strong beast, and keep him fighting for a long time. I doubt Ivan is ignorant of Natsu's battle against Zeref. He  _knows_  Natsu isn't going down without a hell of a fight. He has to know I'm new to magick. New to this world. It'd be easy to send something out of my league and kill me. Instead, he waits. And if he hadn't, would I have pulled out that spell? If it hadn't been those exact circumstances, would I have been able to save myself? I wasn't expecting it, and Ivan surely wasn't either.

"If Ivan wants war, why hasn't he  _started_ one?"

"He already has," Gildarts said and held up a hand when Lucy started to protest. "I know what you mean. He's sent the declaration but hasn't followed through on his end. But as far as Fairy Tail is concerned, we're at war. Ivan started that the second he sent your dad into Fairy Tail with a Paper Doll in his back. Hell, Ivan's been gunning for war with Fairy Tail for centuries. But this is the first time he's killed someone under our own roof." Gildarts nodded at Lucy, acknowledging she had a point. "But this isn't a Human Realm war. Wars here can last for centuries. He's wise to not throw everything he's got at us all at once. But I have to agree; even for a Mythic war…this is a slow start."

"That's been buggin' me too," Natsu said. "Ivan can be patient. Hell, he waited this long to make this bold of a move. But once he gets goin' he doesn't stop. Even Mythics can start a war at the snap of a finger. If Ivan was serious….we should already be battling whatever troops he's amassed." There was a light in Natsu's eyes that told Lucy he'd very much enjoy the fight. "This is just more damn games. Annoying, deadly games."

"Ivan's smart. Too arrogant for his own good, too sure of himself, but smart." Gildarts said. "But Natsu's right. We should be fighting instead of walking through the damn woods. Ivan was trying to separate us. I don't know if he's planning on making a move on Fairy Tail with Natsu out of the way—plus whoever he else got shot into nowhere—or if he's got some other game going."

None of them said what they were all thinking: That if Ivan was attacking Fairy Tail, every second they delayed could mean life or death.

They didn't talk after that, but by some unspoken agreement, they started moving faster. They had to get to Ultear. They had to get back to Fairy Tail.

They were running out of time.

* * *

It wasn't long before Happy reported that the forest was thinning and Natsu could smell signs of civilization. They were finally getting close. They didn't pause, but by unspoken agreement kept moving towards Ultear. She could see that the forest wasn't as thick or as old now. More sun was peeking through the leaves and the undergrowth was getting thicker. Ferns and berry bushes began to crowd the forest floor, slowing their progress slightly.

The damn wolf was still following her, she noted. But she couldn't bring herself to care. Not with their goal so close. Getting out of the forest would be amazing. Her feet were battered and bruised, cut and covered in sap and pieces of leaves. She'd stopped looking at them. It was seriously gross. She wanted a shower and some real food.

A real bed, however, topped her list.

The wolf stopped and growled, it sounded like a small chainsaw. Seconds later, Natsu froze and added to the noise with a growl of his own. Lucy's hand went to her whip. Her keys jingled on her belt, a metallic sound that comforted her.

She was never alone.

Shadows shivered, thickened and darkened. A skeletal hand formed, and the hollow eyes of the Devourer locked onto hers. It formed, one limb at a time, and solidified into a living shadow. Cold, burning cold, spread out from around it. The wolf nudged its muzzle against her keys, his body curled around hers in an obvious protective move.

Natsu stepped in front of her, blocking her from the Devourer's path. Gildarts' cloak snapped out around him, and magick spiced the air.

 _Pure magick._  Lucy thought. Pure magick is what defeated a Devourer. It couldn't be defeated by fire. She grabbed a key off her belt and brought back the feeling of being in the Devourer's clutches.

Soul sucking fear.

"Natsu!" She called. "Get down!" He ducked, not questioning her. She whipped the key up and pulled up magick from her very core. The key sparked but warmed. The Devourer looked at her, and she stared it down as she fired three bursts of light from the key. It screamed. It was like a thousand souls calling out at once, in demonic rage from the pain.

But it bled.

Thick and dark as tar, its blood dripped from its wounds. When it hit the ground, it sizzled and vanished. It screamed again, and the shadows seemed to shudder from the force of it. A hole gaped in the Devourer's chest, burns scored its arms, and the side of its head was missing. The flesh around the wounds pulsed, and it shuddered grotesquely. Extra limbs shot from its body, wiggled like snakes in the throes of death.

"Lucy hit it again!" Natsu shouted, blocking an attack with fists coated in flames. She concentrated, pulling up the purest magick she could. She shot off another two shots.

And they hit home.

Its head was gone, but it still managed to screech. The extra limbs retreated. It started to dissolve into a puddle of shadow and bone. When it was a deformed blob, it shuddered and trembled. Shook and pulsed. The earth seemed to be slowly swallowing it. Cracks formed around it, and the earth shook.

And then there was nothing but a small gap in the ground, and blackened earth splattered about. Lucy let out a breath and lowered the key. A metal lion glinted in the sun.

 _Nice job Lucy._  Loke's voice echoed in her mind.

She let out a shuddering breath and then let out a victory whoop. She'd kicked Devourer ass!

"Sweet!" Natsu high-fived her, a grin stretched across his face. Gildarts rubbed her hair.

"Go, Lucy!" Happy called. Lucy smiled brightly. This  _totally_  made up for the fact that she'd been useless against the Drakon. The wolf sniffed at the blackened ground, promptly lifted a leg, did his business, then walked back to Lucy.

"Did it die?" Happy asked. He poked the ground with a stick.

"I don't know." Gildarts mused. "Never heard of a Devourer dying before. It's possible. It ain't coming back anytime soon though."

"Not after  _that_." Natsu agreed.

"I don't want to see it again." Lucy declared. She felt drained now, hulled out. Obviously, this wasn't a trick she could pull off often.

"We have to keep moving," Gildarts said. "We don't know if Ivan sent it or if it just took the opportunity to attack."

The wolf bounded ahead, a sentry.

Happy flew above the trees, their eye in the sky.

Despite the fact that her feet ached, and her magick was low, Lucy kept moving. Fairy Tail didn't know the meaning of defeat.

Lucy let out a cheer when the forest finally gave way to fields.

And holy mother of all the gods,  _there was a road._

She didn't get on her knees and kiss the road, but it was a close thing.

With a new burst of energy, Lucy raced ahead, bare feet slapping against the packed dirt of the road. Natsu cheered and raced after her, quickly over taking her. She laughed and tried to vain to keep up, but he teased her by running backward and calling her slow.

The earth heaved, sending rocks and boulders flying. Something warm and furred tackled her, pushing her away from the hole that gaped before them. Happy called Natsu's name, and she heard him shout "Max speed!"

She opened her eyes and met the green eyes of the wolf. It eyed her steadily, then jumped off her. She sat up and saw Happy lifting Natsu out of the pit. The earth still rumbled and made it impossible to stand. Just as Happy cleared the mouth of the hole,  _things_  began to climb out. Ivan's creations. Animals blended into grotesque half-beings. One sparked with electricity. Another was made of fire. Still, others had blades sticking out of them, or had multiple heads. Some were sleek and blended well. Others were obvious mistakes, rough patchworks that listed to the side or drooled uncomprehendingly. Some had eyes that glittered with intelligence.

Others were simply beings that craved blood.

However they looked, it was obvious they weren't the welcoming committee. Obviously, Ivan was trying to stop them here and now. Natsu's grin was as feral as some of the beasts, and the magick emanating from Gildarts made Lucy want to find a handy hole to hide in. Instead, she grabbed her whip,  _Fleuve d'étoiles_ , and snapped it out threateningly. Happy gathered some of the rocks scattered around and was dropping 'bombs' on the creatures and calling out insults. Natsu was instantly in the thick of it, fire flashing and his cackle echoing out.

Gildarts moved away from Natsu and her, so they wouldn't get caught up in his magick. All Lucy could see was beasts flying and flashes of Gildarts' pissed face.

They were so lucky he was on their side.

Lucy's wolf friend tore into a beast that looked like a wolf and a raven combined—she didn't know how  _that_  worked but she wasn't going to stop and ask it. Lucy herself took on a group of creatures she couldn't even venture to guess about. Her whip was a part of her arm it seemed. Monsters—for she could think of little else to call them—flew, whimpering from her whip but quickly getting back up to attack again.

 _Now would be a good idea to pull out that spell again._  Lucy thought. But she didn't feel a strange power rising in her. She felt no ancient and powerful knowledge leaking into her mind.

No, she only felt her aching body and her weakened magick reserves. She sent the creatures back, then summoned Virgo.

"Virgo!" Lucy commanded. "Dig holes to drop these things into!"

"Yes, princess. Then will you punish me?"

"No!" Lucy yelled as she sent her whip across the snout of a bear-like creature.

"Very well." The spirit vanished into the ground, and beasts vanished into the ground only to find they couldn't get back out. The holes closed back over them. She sent Virgo back and summoned Taurus for his brute strength. Together they battled the beasts, his axe cracking into the earth and her whip snapping through the air.

On and on it went, more beasts coming at them only to meet whip or blade.

When Taurus was overwhelmed Lucy started to realize how outnumbered they were. There had to be thousands of them.

 _Why here? Why now?_  Lucy's mind raced as her arm ached from controlling the whip. Her wolf companion was still fighting, even if he was bloody. If Ivan had this many beasts at his command, why not deploy them sooner?

With her focus not completely on the battle, a beast slipped through her guard. Her gaze locked on it a second too late. She twisted but wasn't fast enough. Claws sharp as needles raked across her hip, teeth scraped against her shoulder. She cried out, falling as blood bloomed a second before pain registered. Pain echoed out from the wounds, radiating and clouding her mind.

"Lucy!" Natsu's shout was drowned out by the feral growl in her ear. The beast that had clawed her stood next to her, eyes glinting with malice.

"Get down!" Gildarts' shout brooked no argument, and she obeyed despite the pain. She flattened, and before the beast could go for the kill, magick slammed over it. Great arcs of power bowed the trees and sent beasts flying far and wide.

It was quick and brutal, and over in mere seconds. When it passed, Lucy sat up, pressing a hand to her hip, trying to stem the flow. Her shoulder wasn't was bad. She looked around in awe. The creatures lay scattered, some were limping away, and others were so still it could only be death. In the epicenter—namely where Gildarts stood—the ground was smooth as glass, and no evidence of the creatures that were attacking him remained. The air stood still in the wake of the blast. Happy was the first to reach her, thanks to his wings. He hugged her the best he could.

"Lucy!" He said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright." Lucy used her clean hand to rub the top of Happy's head. "Just a few scratches."

"Luce!" Natsu skidded up to her. His eyes focused on her blood-covered hand, and the blood seeping from her shoulder. Gildarts was seconds behind Natsu, and he promptly ripped some of his cloak and began to stanch the flow from her shoulder.

"I'm fine guys," Lucy gestured to Natsu. He was clawed up and bleeding as well. Happy was dirty and his little paws were scratched from sharp rocks. "Nothing worse than what you've got." Gildarts looked fine, a few bruises, but nothing serious. Happy curled against her, and her hand continued to rub him. Natsu looked at her hip, poking at it gently.

"Luce, this is pretty deep," Natsu said. Lucy lifted her hand from the wound and felt herself go pale when she saw the white poking out from the wound.

"Tell me that isn't bone." Natsu didn't answer. Lucy took in the blood on the ground and shallowed her breathing. She would not pass out from blood loss. Gildarts and Natsu exchanged a glance.

"Lucy, do you trust me?" Natsu asked. He was deadly serious.

"Of course." She said. What a stupid question.

"Listen, we don't have any thread to close the wound or a needle. Frankly, I don't trust my hand to do stitches anyway." Gildarts said. "That wound is just going to bleed through any bandage we put on it unless we close it. You don't have any more magick power to summon a spirit to help."

"What are you saying?" Lucy's head felt a little light.

"I'm saying there's only one way to close the wound." Gildarts looked serious as well. "And you've got to trust Natsu." Happy seemed to understand. He took her hand from his head and held it tightly between his paws.

"I've got you, Lucy." He said.

"What?" Lucy blinked.

"Lucy." Natsu was gently removing the fabric from the wound. "I can cauterize the wound."

Lucy felt her stomach drop. A thousand protests sprang forth in her mind. Cauterizing wasn't used anymore! Her mind screamed. But she looked back at the wound, at what had to be part of her hip bone. Her head felt funny, and she knew losing more blood wasn't an option. She let out a breath and steadied the breathing that had jerked at the mention of cauterization.

"Okay." She said. She looked directly at Natsu. "Okay." Happy's paws tightened on hers. Gildarts held her in an embrace purely meant to keep her from jerking away from Natsu's flame. Natsu's jaw tightened. It was obvious he hated to use his flames to harm his friends. "I know you don't want to hurt me," Lucy said trying to keep her mind off the pain herself. "But this is the only way. If you'd thought of anything else, that's what we'd be doing."

Natsu said nothing, but she saw him nod. A flame flickered to life in his hand. Deciding that there was nothing weak about closing her eyes, Lucy locked her jaw. She would not scream. That would only make Natsu feel horrible.

The burn was horrible, and her body jerked out of pure reaction. A short, high scream escaped before she could stop it. Gildarts held her still, and Happy never let go of her hand. She slammed her right foot onto the ground, trying to keep from jerking away again. She bit the side of her cheek to keep from screaming again. It was over quickly, but it was a long few minutes. When Natsu finished, the pain diminished but only by a small quotient. Lucy swallowed and smiled at Natsu.

"That wasn't so bad." Gildarts let out a rough laugh.

"You're one hell of a lady." He said as he let her go.

"Thanks, Natsu." Lucy reached out and squeezed his hand, wishing he'd smile. He looked too serious. Like the weight of a thousand burdens was dumped on his back. As if he'd heard her wish, his grin spread slowly across his face, until his fangs were on display and his face was aflame again.

Warmth spread through her, as slow as the smile. Butterflies danced lightly in her stomach.

"You're welcome Lucy," Natsu said. He tied another piece of Gildarts' cloak around her waist, covering the burn. He lifted her before she could protest. "If you walk you'll open the wound again."

"Natsu's right Lucy!" Happy's voice took on a scolding tone. "You need to be careful until we can get you to Wendy."

"Enjoy the ride." Gildarts winked, playful once again.

"Ultear's isn't too much farther," Natsu said his facelifted into the wind. His strong jawline was tense. "We need to get there before Ivan's troops regroup."

"Oh, please," A voice said. "No need to go any further." A women formed, piece by piece. "Are you looking for me?" Her tone was teasing. Her hair was long and dark. A crystal orb rested in her hand. She bore a striking resemblance to Ur, Gray's teacher. He'd shown her a picture once.

"How long have you been there?" Natsu demanded. "Why didn't you help us?"

Ultear, for she had to be Ultear, rolled her eyes. "I just got here. I may not go to the Guild often, but I wouldn't leave members to fend for themselves. Though it's a surprise to see you, Natsu. I heard you'd come back, but I didn't expect you all but on my doorstep. Gildarts, long time no see."

"Nice to see you Ultear."

"And who…is this?" Ultear locked her gaze on Lucy.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia," Lucy told her.

"Ahh," Ultear said with a slight smile. "That explains it."

"Listen Ultear, we need your help." Gildarts began but Ultear waved it away.

"Jellal filled me in." She smirked. "He was able to get around the lacrima problem we've been having. I can't fix the portal, but I can get you back to Fairy Tail." She held up her orb, and a magick circle sprang to life around it. "It's a one-way trip. I'll see what I can do from this side of things, but I wouldn't expect any help from this side until that portal is fixed." She smiled as if she knew something they didn't. "Ivan is due for an ego-check. Call me when you take the fight to him. I haven't had any fun in a while."

Before Ultear the air was ripping itself apart. Magick sparked and a rip formed. Through it, Lucy could see the tall, tall doors of Fairy Tail. The wind became a vicious living thing, and Lucy could see the strain in Ultear's eyes.

"Thanks, Ultear!" Gildarts shouted. He grabbed Natsu—who still held Lucy—and threw them into the portal. Happy clung to Natsu's back. He took a mighty leap and jumped through as well.

Ultear watched them go. She then locked eyes with the green-eyed wolf that stood by. "Well?" She asked. The wolf walked to the portal, bowed thanks, and stepped through, calm as could be.

The portal was anything but an easy ride. Unlike the normal portal to Fairy Tail—which Lucy felt was a more normal rift in the dimension—this one bucked and screamed. Seconds after entering, she'd been ripped from Natsu's arms, and Happy had gone flying as well. She shot through the other side, her wounds aching due to being jostled, and her eyes locked onto the oncoming floor.

This was going to  _hurt_.

"Meteor!" A flash of gold light caught her, and together they landed, light as a breeze. Lucy looked up at Jellal.

"Thanks." He smiled.

"I see you ran into Ultear, but where's—" Natsu and Happy, yelling at the top of their lungs, shot out of the portal. A stream of water shaped like a hand caught them and lowered them to the floor. Gildarts came through next, his legs spread and his body upright. He landed with a great thud. Lucy didn't notice the wolf slip through the portal before it shut.

"Natsu!"

"Hey, Lucy's okay!"

"Gildarts! He's back!"

Chatter escalated. Jellal set Lucy on her feet. She hissed and pressed a hand to her hip an instant before it refused to hold her weight. Jellal caught her, apologizing quickly.

"Wendy!" He called.

"Crap, is she hurt?" Gray asked as he wandered over.

"I'm okay." She said. "Just a scratch."

"Sure," Gray said unconvinced. Wendy was at her side seconds later.

"Let me see, please." Jellal lifted Lucy again, setting her atop a table. Wendy's small hands deftly removed the bandage. She cocked her head at the wound. "Nice job on the cauterization Natsu."

"Cauterization?" Gray looked at Lucy in impressed shock. "You trusted that flame brain to cauterize it?"

"Of course," Lucy said primly.

"She was really brave." Happy declared. "Only screamed once."

"She was tougher than you'd be Ice Queen." Natsu grinned.

"Why don't you kids tell me what happened?" Master spoke softly, and the chatter stopped in the wake of his voice. Lucy saw Cana slip through the crowd, and discreetly give her father a hug.

Natsu, Happy, and Lucy explained as Wendy healed her wound. Gildarts chimed in with his own story. The guild was silent as they listened.

"I'm glad you made it back my children." Master let out a sigh. "But I'm afraid we're all still trapped here, and others are still missing."

"Who else is missing Master?" Gildarts asked.

"Freed and Romeo," Master said. "We tried to talk to Bisca and Alzack, but the lacrima connection was spotty. Also among the missing is—"

"Gajeel." Levy's voice rang out. "The stupid stubborn idiot."

"Master, you should be resting," Mirajane said softly. Lucy looked closely at Master. His face was drawn and pale, and he was breathing heavier than usual. His voice was strong and clear though.

"I won't rest until all my children are safe."

"Idiot geezer." Laxus declared. "Your children can take care of themselves. Natsu and Lucy got back, didn't they? Give us some credit." Master sighed.

"I'm aware, Laxus. But I am still Master here." The Dreyars stared each other down.

Lucy didn't know who would've won the stare down because at that moment the earth shook and magick trembled. Jet raced from outside.

"Master!" He called. "The portal. Somethings going on with it again."

The whole of Fairy Tail raced outside. Happy carried Lucy, even though Wendy had healed the worst of her wounds. When they reached the portal, they stared in amazement. It stood in all its glory, good as new.

"But how?" Levy asked no one. "Not even Freed's books had anything on how to fix it!"

" _TRAITOR."_  A voice roared it. From the newly repaired portal, a body came through. It landed on the ground unceremoniously. The body lay crumpled, dirty and bloody. Long hair that desperately needed washing covered most of the body, including the face. But Levy didn't need to see the face to know.

"Gajeel!" She yelled, racing to his side.

Lucy stared at the form. Blood was pooling around him, and he looked like he'd been through hell.

Lucy couldn't help but wonder if he was even still alive.


	22. Trip Wire

Lucy couldn't believe it. Gajeel had always seemed invincible to her. Like a giant steel wall that had withstood centuries, and was showing no signs of rusting. He was Black Steel Gajeel, Iron Dragon Slayer. He was a man, who wasn't a man, but a demon ready to take down all foes. It was hard to imagine him falling in battle…She didn't let herself finish the thought.

Once Levy said it though, it was obvious. Lucy looked over the crumpled form and tried to match it to the powerful man she knew. He seemed to have shrunk. His pants were ripped, and his back….Lucy looked away. He'd been beaten badly. He was more bruises and blood that smooth flesh.

It was hard to imagine him falling in battle, Lucy thought again, let alone looking…

Dead.

She made herself think it as Happy rushed her over, right behind Levy. Gajeel could be dead. As dead as her father. Ivan had more blood on his hands, whether Gajeel was dead or not.

 _Please,_  she pleaded to no one,  _let him be alive._

It was one thing to have her father die under Fairy Tail's roof. It was another to have one of their own dead at their feet. Lucy knew one thing: that is if Gajeel were truly dead, then Ivan had ignited a fire he'd never be able to put out. Never be able to quench. Fairy Tail would ride on grief, run on vengeance until Ivan was no more.

Fairy Tail was the worst guild to make an enemy of.

Levy's shattered sobbing scream ripped at Lucy's heart.

_No, no, no, no, no._

Happy stopped a foot from Gajeel's shattered body, setting Lucy gently to the ground. Natsu was there too, as was Pantherlily. Lucy pushed her own grief aside, and bent down next to Levy—her hip didn't like the motion, in fact, it screamed protests, but she didn't care—to offer comfort. Shock ripped through her, cold claws that shook the soul. Levy's hands were at Gajeel's neck, obviously looking for a pulse. Her fingers, though, they passed through Gajeel's neck as if he wasn't actually there.

"You thought I'd give him  _back?_  After what he's  _done?_ " Ivan's voice—for it had to be Ivan—roared. " _NO_. Gajeel will pay. He will suffer.  _You will not have your precious Iron Dragon Slayer back in one piece!"_

Levy stood, fury written on her face. She drew herself up taller, and spoke with a force meant for someone much larger than she. "Fairy Tail will end you Ivan! I swear to Mavis that if you kill him  _I'll throw you to the demons of Fairy Tail and let them rip you to shreds!_  You've got what you want Ivan. You've ignited a war with Fairy Tail. And you shall pay dearly for it. You're going to find out the power of Fairy Tail.  _We will end this, once and for all!"_

The roars and cheers that followed this proclamation were nothing short of bloodthirsty. Feet pounded, magick sparked, and she could hear Natsu's low growl vibrating through the air. Lucy found herself screaming along with them. Her blood felt hot, and she shook with rage.

Fairy Tail was out for blood.

* * *

Gajeel's beaten body—or the image of it—refused to vanish. It lay just beyond the portal, Ivan's grim postcard. Laxus vanished briefly to find Freed, whom Cana found out was still at the library. Mira contacted Alzack and Bisca, found them alive, and well— if worried for the guild. Asuka was fine, and had been hidden from Ivan's line of fire in one of Fairy Tail's many safe houses. Romeo, however, was still among the missing. Cana broke out a new set of cars and began to try to find him.

This time, she refused to let anything block her. Macao, who was damn near a breakdown, simply sat a table away, his head in his hands. He'd wanted to jump through the portal and go look for his son. Unlike Freed, though, they didn't know where Romeo was, or where he'd been when the portal had closed. Macao was forced to sit and wait, and hope Cana could find Romeo.

"Got him!" Cana called out, surprisingly quick. Her shout had Macao falling out of his seat, scrambling up and launching himself at Cana's table. The mood in the guild was odd. A mixture of grimness and anger, nerves, and fury. But they still managed to let out a cheer for Cana.

"Where?" He demanded. Lucy saw Natsu—his eyes still held anger over Ivan's treatment of Gajeel—lean towards the door, no doubt to launch himself out of it and into the portal. He probably wanted to get Romeo himself. She knew very well that Natsu thought of Romeo as a younger brother—and the young fire demon obviously looked up to Natsu.

"He's in the Human Realm," Cana said. "Must've gotten blasted through the portal when Ivan still had control. He's not strong enough to get to the Human Realm on his own. As far as I can tell, he's fine. Ivan wouldn't waste his pets on someone he sees as just a child. Romeo's not a major target for him."

"Can you tell where in the Human Realm, Cana?" Mira questioned, laying a large map over the table. Cana picked up a card; Romeo's face grinning from it and threw it on the map. It embedded itself into the wood of the table. Levy her eyes red and puffy, her back ruler straight, blinked in surprise.

"That's mine and Gajeel's neighborhood." Her voice was a little scratchy from crying but strong nonetheless.

"Why send him there?" Macao rubbed his hands over his face. "You know what? I don't care. Let's just go get my boy."

"Be careful!" Mira warned. "Who knows what Ivan has up his sleeves."

"Gotta agree." Cana fanned out her cards. "My cards tell me danger lurks."

"As long as it doesn't get my son," Macao said.

"I'm going to see if I can't find out where Gajeel is," Cana said. "Without the portal jamming me, I can probably find him. Gajeel's one of us, and Ivan will have a hard time blocking him from me." There was a battle light in her eyes, one that made Lucy glad Cana was on their side. She'd find Gajeel, Lucy was sure of it.

"I'm going to the Human Realm then," Levy said. "I know the area."

"So do I," Lucy said. If there was a trap, Levy wasn't going alone. "I'll go with you, Levy."

"Thanks, Lu."

"I'm going after my son," Macao said firmly.

"Hey, I want some of this." Natsu grinned. But Lucy could see he needed to work out some anger. She knew the second Cana found Gajeel, Natsu would lead the charge. "Romeo can't escape my nose."

"We're going to Levy," Jet said and Droy nodded his agreement. "Since Gajeel's not here, we're gonna watch out for you. He'd kick our asses otherwise."

"Here," Cana handed Levy a card. "It's a telepathy card. I'll send you a message when I find Gajeel. I've also got cards that'll tell me if you guys are in trouble." She fanned out cards with their faces on them, with the word 'danger' scrawled across the top.

"Be careful, my children," Master said. He looked better. "Who knows what Ivan has in store for you."

"We got this Gramps!" Natsu grinned. The group headed out for the Human Realm, Levy in the lead. Happy fly above their heads, a winged sentinel. When they reached the portal, Levy stopped and chewed her lip. She seemed to make a decision and the portal twisted and glowed, giving the group a glimpse of Levy's neighborhood.

They stepped through, magick pulsing around them. Lucy realized that the portal had felt…wrong when they had gone through it before. Now it felt right. It was truly fixed. They fell through, and the journey was short as it should be. They landed in an alley, and Levy peeked around the corner.

"Okay, we're about a block away from my place." She said. "Natsu, can you smell anything yet?" Natsu's nose twitched. He stepped out on the street and thankfully, there weren't many people around to see him sniffing the air like a dog.

"I got his scent," Natsu said. "It's faint though. He's been around here."

"Poor kids probably wandering around lost." Jet commented.

"Yeah, he's never been here before, has he?" Droy said.

"Has he not been to the Human Realm before?" Lucy questioned as Natsu tried to figure out which direction Romeo might be in.

"Yeah, he has," Macao said. "But only with me or someone else. We don't go to the Human Realm often. He likes it, thinks it's cool. He can't break through on his own, and he doesn't know it well enough to make the portal take him there. It's hard for someone of his magick level to get the portal to work unless he really knows where he's going."

"The portal relies on your knowledge of the area," Levy said. "And it helps to have a good bit of magick to get through. You can get to an area you don't know, but you'd just put where the dimensional barrier is thinnest. And that changes. So if you don't know your way around, you'd just get lost."

Lucy sighed, scanning the street for a sign of him. "I'm just glad he got sent here instead of some random woods in the Demon Realm. At least everything isn't out to kill him here."

"That may be true, but at least he'd know the dangers in the Demon Realm." Jet said. "He doesn't know them here."

"This way guys!" Natsu said, heading down the street. They followed quickly. A few days had passed since the portal had gone haywire. Romeo was probably tired and hungry. Plus, Jet was right. Romeo didn't know the dangers here. Sure, there weren't any mystical creatures trying to eat him, but there other dangers. If he'd wandered far enough, he could get into the seedy side of town. Where gangs lurked and drugs flowed. Even in this decent neighborhood, there were dangers for a kid Romeo's age. He was probably hundreds of years old, but he looked thirteen.

And there were a lot of bad people out there that could hurt someone who looked so young.

Not to mention there was Ivan-shut up, shut up, shut up! Lucy ordered her brain. Romeo was a smart, resourceful kid. He could hold fire in the palm of his hands. A human mugger wouldn't stand a chance. And Ivan…well, Ivan had bigger fish to fry.

She tried to block out the thought of Ivan using Romeo as blackmail.

Natsu seemed to have caught the scent better now. His face was a study of concentration. The others trailed a few feet behind him, not speaking. Lucy had no doubt they were trying to block possible scenarios from their minds too. No one wanted Romeo. Her mind went to Laxus and the Thunder Legion. Was Freed really okay? He had more experience than Romeo did, but the chance to trap or injure Laxus might be too much for Ivan. He had to know that Laxus and the Thunder Legion were close.

She couldn't worry about it now. They had to find Romeo. Make sure he was okay. She had to trust that Laxus and the Thunder Legion could handle anything Ivan had in store for them.

She also had to trust that Gajeel was strong enough to last until they could find him.

The buildings were becoming more and more familiar, Lucy realized. They were heading deeper into Levy's neighborhood. Here the cityscape with its pressed together buildings and apartments were starting to spread out. Lawns were bigger. Houses were becoming single-family homes. Gajeel and Levy liked their privacy. They were on the outskirts of Magnolia now, where great trees were taller than homes and dogs slept on porches.

"Natsu…" Levy warned.

"Yeah, I can smell you and the lug nut. We're getting' close to your place, ain't we?" Natsu said lowly. Lucy wondered how Romeo got here.

And if there were a trap, why wouldn't Ivan send to a place in a town where they didn't know as well?

Jet and Droy were on edge, eyes scanning their surroundings. Macao seemed to strain forward, as if he could simply will Romeo by his side. He was a knot of tension. Natsu smelled the air again, his muscles corded. Levy seemed nervous, shifting from foot to foot. Lucy could feel the tension in her own body. They were just down the street from Levy and Gajeel's place. Somehow, she knew Romeo was in their home.

Just as she knew that they were walking into a trap.

Natsu suddenly went rigid, ear cocked towards Levy's house. "Romeo!" He yelled. Obviously, he'd heard something they hadn't. He started to run forward. Lucy sprinted, slamming into his back and pulling him close.

"Wait!" She shouted. "You know it's a trap!"

"I know!" Natsu growled. But he didn't fight her grip. "But I heard Romeo yell! We need to get him out of there. I don't like the smell of this place."

"We need to think," Lucy said. "Romeo is nothing to Ivan. He doesn't care if he lives or dies. He's not a threat in Ivan's eyes. We are. If he can take us out, he doesn't care if Romeo is caught in the crossfire. Will you risk him?"

"Of course not!" Natsu said. Frustration vibrated from his voice, shook his body.

"We need to get my boy out of here." Macao said obviously trying to think logically himself. He wouldn't risk his son either. But Lucy could tell he wanted to sprint to the house, wanted to gather his boy in his arms and see for himself that he was okay. Levy was thinking.

"I wish we knew what the trap was." She muttered to herself. They had no idea what Ivan had in-store. Magick hummed in the air, and a flickering image of Ivan smirked at them. Lucy shot him the dirtiest look she could muster.

"I'd hurry little fairies…" Ivan's grin widened. "I'm afraid the boy doesn't have much time."

Natsu roared, pulled from Lucy's grasp and shredded the illusion.

"ROMEO!" He roared it. "I'm coming for you!"

Lucy didn't bother to tell him to wait. They all ran after him, Jet activating his magick to catch up to Natsu. Soon they were running down the street as if the hounds of hell nipped at their heels. Lucy imaged anyone looking out the window thought they were insane. They weren't in running gear, and this was a quiet, nondescript neighborhood.

Of course, they had no idea Levy and Gajeel weren't human.

She saw Levy and Gajeel's house. It was fairly large for it being just Levy, Gajeel, and Pantherlily—who rated his own room—but Gajeel like to have his own space to work on projects, and Levy had turned some of the house into a library filled with ancient texts and this year's best sellers. Now her mind went through all the possible places someone could hide in the house—there were far too many, and none of them accounted for magickal concealment.

Jet reached the front door seconds before Natsu. He ripped it open, and Natsu barreled through it, Jet at his heels. Levy and Lucy reached the door next, with Macao and Droy a few steps behind them.

The house was eerily quiet. Nothing stirred. Dust had settled thickly, due to the fact that no one had been in the house in a while. Well, no one that would think to clean had.

"Romeo?" Lucy called her voice a low shout. Natsu's nose was twitching. Lucy's hip still hurt, a constant ache, but she ignored it. Wendy had healed it as best she could. Romeo needed help. She wasn't going to let it slow her down.

"Basement." He whispered. Levy held up two fingers. Two ways into the basement. Lucy knew them both. Levy nodded at Lucy. Levy took Droy and Macao, Natsu and Lucy took Jet. Lucy led the way to the stairs in the kitchen. Levy led them to the ramp that led outside. It also had an inside door, for convenience. Lucy opened the door and looked at the dark staircase. Natsu's hand lit up and Lucy let him take point.

* * *

Levy felt nerves claw up her stomach. What had Ivan meant that Romeo didn't have a lot of time? What had Ivan done to him? Her mind raced with possibilities, and she wished she could turn her mind off for five damn minutes. She didn't want to think. She didn't want to cloud her mind with far too vivid pictures of  _just what_  Ivan could've done to young Romeo.

She let out a small breath; Dory pressed the tips of his fingers between her shoulder blades. A quiet way to comfort her. Macao was holding up pretty well, but Levy could tell her wanted to shout for Romeo. She moved deeper into the basement. It was an open concept, but filled with Gajeel's machines, and a section was saved for workout equipment. Bookshelves, present in almost every room of the house, hunched darkly in the far corner, casting shadows that could hide far too much.

There were too many shadows. Too many places to hide. Gajeel's metal tools were hulking things, full of sharp teeth that bit harder than they barked.

And they barked damn loud.

Levy scanned the basement, looking for something out of place. She didn't dare turn the lights on; though she had no doubt that whatever trap Ivan had set had already sprung. Or was damn close to. Levy's eyes locked on Natsu, his face shadowed from the fire in his hand. Behind him were Lucy and Jet. She nodded at him, knowing he could see better in the dark than she. He tilted his head toward the wall.

Levy looked over. Closer to her sat the small cubicle that held the half-bath. Closer to Natsu were the bookshelves in the corner. Between them, there was a small, living room like a patch of floor. A carpet broke up the natural stone floors; a long couch that begged to be napped on faced the wall, where a large TV was mounted. Underneath the TV was a music player, and a DVD/VCR player. Speakers were hidden all around the room.

Natsu mouthed the word 'couch' to her. Levy blinked. Surely, it wasn't so simple. Was Romeo on the couch? Not hidden underneath something? Or in some form of danger. All the things that could maim someone were on the other side of the room. Levy nodded, and both groups made their way to the couch. Levy looked around for a trip wire, felt around for a magickal trigger.

She saw and felt nothing, and Natsu gave no indication he smelled anything amiss. When they made it to the couch, Levy just stared.

There was Romeo, looking a little pale, a little tired if the bags under his eyes were any indication, but otherwise unharmed. No imminent danger lurked. Levy's gut twisted.

What was the catch?

"Romeo!" Macao's voice exploded in the silence. He bent down next to the couch and clasped a hand on Romeo's shoulders. "Come on, son. We're gonna take you home."

Romeo's eyes blinked open. "Dad." His breathing deepened, but it was strained. Levy's stomach dropped straight to her feet. "Don't feel so hot." Macao's face reflected how Levy's stomach felt.

"It's okay. We'll get you to Wendy."

Natsu growled.

"What?" Lucy asked. Levy dreaded the answer.

"I don't feel any magick comin' from Romeo." He ground out.

As soon as he said it, Levy realized it for truth. That was why she hadn't sensed Romeo on the couch. There was nothing to sense. Macao's face was pale, but he scooped his boy up gently.

"You're okay now," He soothed. Romeo looked unbearably young in his father's arms.

"Dad." He said again, sounding a little more urgent. Like he'd just remembered something important. "Trap. You shouldn't be here."

"Trap or no trap, I ain't leaving you here." Macao's voice brooked no argument. It was the Dad tone she'd rarely heard him use.

"Relax, Romeo." Natsu grinned. "Ivan ain't taking us out." Romeo smiled. It was small, and he seemed to be in pain, but it was a smile nonetheless.

It all went wrong in a blink of an eye.

One second they were heading out of the basement, up the ramp, as it was the quickest way out. The next they were all on the floor, pain ripping through them. Levy screamed, and her magick flickered out, a candle snuffed out. She heard Lucy cry out. Macao went down hard, but his body curled around Romeo protectively. Gritting her teeth, Levy tried to think. This couldn't be it. This couldn't be the only part of Ivan's trap. They had to get out. Now.

The ground rumbled. Magick swelled around them, making the lack of it in their own body's sting all the more.

"Shit." She heard Natsu swear.

Then all she could hear was the roaring of flames and her own screaming.

* * *

Everything of Gajeel's body hurt. He was pretty sure he'd lost far too much blood. He was also pretty sure his back was nothing but raw, bloody skin. Breathing was a study in agony. Bastards had broken some ribs. Most of his brain was concentrated on the pain. The aches and screams that his body was shouting at him. A small part of him had retreated from it, trying to think of a way out of here. He'd been careless, had gotten caught. His own damn fault.

But he would be damned if he died here.

"Ah, Gajeel." Ivan's sickly smooth voice floated over him. Gajeel growled, but cut off quickly when his ribs sent up a shriek of protest. Ivan simply laughed. "I'm surprised you're conscious. I've learned many forms of torture over the years. I've found that the….psychological far outpaces the physical." Magick shimmered in the air, stained by Ivan. "Can you look at the screen, here, boy?" Gajeel gritted his teeth, but didn't attempt to move. He wouldn't let Ivan get to him. "Ah, well, you can you hear it well enough."

There was a bit of static. Then he could hear footsteps and breathing. Suddenly, bodies crashed to the floor. A voice he recognized as Salamander's swore.

And then Levy's scream echoed in the chamber as something exploded. It echoed in his head, shot fear into his heart. Before Gajeel even realized it, he'd stood. Pain roared through him even as he roared.

His eyes, red as the blood that covered him, locked onto Ivan's. He could feel scales covering him, stopping some blood flow.

He scented fear.

He roared again as he charged.


	23. And the Fire Ignites

The world was fire. Its greedy growl was all he could hear. He felt pressed in, something pressing on him from all sides. It shortened his breath, and caused a trickle of panic to leak ice into his blood. Magick or no, his body was built differently. It was  _made_  to withstand fire. Even Romeo and Macao had a resistance to fire. The others didn't. Hell, Droy was basically a  _plant_ ; he couldn't handle such high temperatures.

Levy had screamed, Natsu thought now, but he hadn't heard a sound from Lucy.

Natsu cursed, viciously, violently, and low enough that Romeo, who was pinned beneath him, couldn't hear.

Ivan was a dead man.

* * *

Cana was  _inches_  from finding Gajeel when her warning cards screamed. All of them went off at once, shattering her concentration and ruining her divination. Her cards flexed in her hand as she tensed it in automatic annoyance. Fear jumped into her throat when she realized what the distraction was. Yanking out the warning cards, she tamped down the fear and panic that wanted to boil over. She knew Wendy was looking at her, her expressive eyes staring at the cards. Cana let out a breath.

"Looks like they couldn't handle grabbing a kid," She spoke with forced lightness. She rolled her eyes for effect, but she was shaking inside. What had Ivan  _done?_

"I'll get them." Laxus's voice was like thunder in the silent guild. Freed, who looked unharmed, stood with the Thunder Legion, who seemed to be in a marginally better mood. At least Bixlow's tongue was in its usual place—that is, hanging out of his mouth. "Idiots."

"The Thunder Legion to the rescue." Bixlow grinned. "I ain't never letting Natsu live this one down."

"Keep tryin' to find the Iron Ass." Laxus intoned his jacket billowing out as he turned. Cana swore he wore that damn thing just over his shoulders to look cool.

"I'm on it." She gritted her teeth and ripped the trouble cards in half, thus silencing them. She turned to her cards and blocked out all distractions. She had to trust Laxus would get them out of whatever Ivan had set up for them. Right now, she had to find Gajeel.

And when she found him, chances were she'd have Ivan. And then they could take this war to his front door.

* * *

Levy tasted dirt. It filled her mouth, clogged her lungs, found every pore in her body to clog. She coughed, wondering if the house had simply collapsed on top of them. Were they buried alive? She waited for the pain, and felt panic bloom when she didn't feel any. Was she paralyzed? It was hard to move, due to the earth. Fear ground in her gut. She spat out clumps of earth, coughed a bit more, and focused.

She wiggled her toes and felt relief when earth moved around them. Okay, okay, she could feel. But still, shouldn't she be in pain? The explosion was  _huge_  and she wasn't exactly fireproof. She breathed shallowly, knowing it may very well be a limited air supply.

Magick.

She gasped when she felt it, curled inside like a contented cat. Whatever spell or artifact that had been used to drain them must've been destroyed in the explosion. And why not? The dead didn't use magick. If the trap had worked, they wouldn't be alive to use magick, or at least not alive enough too.

"Lu!" She yelled. She could barely wiggle. Her little cavern wasn't conducive to moving. "Jet! Dory! Natsu!" She listened for a moment, but could hear nothing. Nothing but the roar of a fire still burning. "Romeo! Macao! Come on, Natsu!" If  _anyone_  was functioning after a fiery explosion, it was Natsu. She thought she heard something, under the constant sound of the fire. She cursed not having Natsu's hearing. "Solid Script: Light," She chanted, relieved when light filled the tiny space. Geez, she thought, you know it's small when  _I_ can't move.

The light revealed the features of her little cave. It was barely two inches longer than she, and only about two inches taller than her prone form. Yet the walls were mostly smooth, save where she'd brushed against it. It wasn't natural. She hadn't been miraculously saved by brick falling in the right place. Someone or something had made this cave. Had she'd done it? She couldn't have. Her magick had still been out.

So who had?

* * *

For once in his life, kicking ass wasn't going so well for Gajeel. Metal scales mostly covered his wounds, but his internal injuries were screaming at him to stop. To rest.

He'd never been good at taking orders.

Ivan's minions had stepped in his way before his metal plated fist had made contact with the creep's face. The red-haired bitch's flames were nothing compared to Salamander's, but they still stung. The freaky snake dude—he'd never bothered to remember their names—was using other people's spells against him. Sand was in places sand should never be. How he'd gotten Max's Sand Rebellion, Gajeel didn't know. Freakin' Mimic Magick. The magick canceler freak wasn't there, for which Gajeel was glad. His magick was the only thing keeping his battered body moving. The ugly short dude was packin' a punch, for more than he should've. Gajeel blamed Ivan's torture methods. Blind with fury, Levy's scream still echoing in his head, he punched out at anything that moved.

He wanted blood to spill. The scent of it kept his rage up.

"IVAN!" His voice sounded like grating metal plates. He was all anger and bone chilling rage. His roar, no magick required, shook the building and sent some of the lesser members of Raven Tail running in fear.

He felt more dragon than demon. He could feel it clawing inside him, its rage bubbling into claws that drew blood, teeth that gleamed bright, and magick that pumped through him like a drug. He was a beast in a shell of a man. His iron rod for a fist crashed into someone's face, and he smiled despite the pain.

Who said Fairy Tail had made him soft?

* * *

Laxus knew Natsu and the others had gotten themselves into trouble with Ivan, but he didn't think it was  _this_  much trouble. Gajeel and Levy's house, which Laxus assumed had looked fairly decent not too long ago, was rubble and flame. He could feel the heat across the street. No one else did though. No panicked neighbors stood outside, phones in hand. No fire department screamed down the street. No, Ivan had taken their house in the Demon Realm.

And had blown it to hell and back.

"First, we need to put the fire out," Laxus commanded. Worry twisted in his gut, but he didn't allow it to show on his face, to stop him from doing what needed to be done. Freed held out his rapier, mumbling under his breath.

"Rune Magick." He intoned. What looked to be glyphs scattered across the ground and set up a barrier around the house. The law glowed in front of the door.

_No flames may burn here._

The flames sputtered and sparked, then faded. The house still smoked, and it was undoubtedly hot, but they couldn't afford to wait for it to cool. Laxus marched across the street, his nose twitching. A scent, one that didn't belong to any of the Fairies trapped in the house, lingered in the air. It wasn't Ivan. Laxus figured it was one of his old man's minions. The one who'd set the trap.

"Spread out." Laxus said. "Start moving this rubble. They're trapped underneath, so be careful what you pull out. If this thing collapses anymore, it won't be good." Something smelled odd, but Laxus couldn't smell the stench of death. He'd worry about the odd scent later. "Natsu, you loser, how'd you let flame best you?" Laxus called out. He could smell them, but the smoke was making it hard to pinpoint them. Natsu had the best chance of hearing him, even trapped beneath the house.

"Shut up, lightning rod." Came the muffled response. Laxus grinned despite himself. Ear cocked he walked over to the where the side of the house had been. He noted the top of a ramp. The basement. Of course, they were at the very bottom of the house.

"Hey, they're over here," Laxus called. "Start here, at the ramp." Laxus summoned lightning to help break apart a large piece of rubble. "We're getting you out Natsu. Tell the others if you can."

"Aye, sir."

Natsu grinned in the darkness. He couldn't smell Laxus, but he could hear the obnoxious sound of his voice. "HEY." He yelled, hoping the others could hear him. Their hearing sucked compared to his. "Laxus is here! We're gonna get out."

"I hear you, Natsu-Nii," Romeo mumbled beneath him. "You're heavy."

"About time you woke up," Natsu said, immense relief spreading through him. "Can you handle a little fire?"

"Yeah," Romeo said. Natsu lit up his palm and tried to shift some of his weight off Romeo. There wasn't much room to move. "Can't you just blast your way out?"

"Could." The thought had occurred. "But I don't know where the others are. And I could make this place collapse more." Romeo shifted, and in the limited space, they managed to lay on their sides, face-to-face. Much too close for comfort, but they didn't have a lot of options.

"How did this happen?" Romeo asked, running a hand along the earthen wall.

"Dunno," Natsu said. "Someone managed a bit of last-minute magick? Levy maybe?"

"We were totally drained though," Romeo said. He rubbed his stomach as if he could still feel the ache. Natsu managed to shrug.

"We'll figure it out later. Right now we gotta get out of here, then kick Ivan's ass." Natsu sniffed the air again. Why did Lucy smell so  _odd?_  "Hurry it up Loxy! We're bored down here."

"Loxy?" Romeo mouthed his face caught between fear and amusement. Natsu cocked his head and grinned as Laxus's angry protest reverberated down the rubble.

"Gotta motivate him somehow." Natsu grinned. "You call that lightning? Come on Loxy!"

"Don't call me  _Loxy!"_ Romeo's eyes widened.

"I heard that," He whispered. He didn't know Laxus could be so  _loud._  Natsu hoped the others could hear him and could get some laughter out of it. He imagined they were panicking a bit. The rubble being moved was shaking the earth, and he could hear wood creaking and metal groaning. It was unnerving.

"Natsu, he's gonna kill you when we get out of here!" Levy called and Natsu grinned.

"Yeah, dude." Jet's voice came from behind him. "You know he hates that name."

"Dead meat," Droy added, but Natsu could hear the laughter in his voice.

"You're a bad influence on my boy!" Macao called out.

"I'm a bad influence?" Natsu protested. "You're the one drinking and checking out girls!" He could hear Laxus and the Thunder Legion better now. They were getting closer. It wouldn't take them long. Rubble was nothing to well-aiming lightning and Bixlow's freaky doll's laser beams.

"Burn!" Romeo called out. The banter continued, but Natsu's heart was constricting.

Why wasn't Lucy saying anything?

"Lu!" Levy called out. "Control your boyfriend!" Silence fell, heavy and thick. No shouts of protest, no denials. Natsu swallowed.

"She's probably too embarrassed to answer!" Natsu said to try to lift the tension. "You know how she gets." He called up another insult to Laxus, but all he wanted to hear was Lucy yelling at him.

Like a switch clicking off, Lucy's scent vanished.

* * *

Laxus growled under his breath and shouted for Natsu to shut up, mostly for form. He knew what the boy was trying to do. And it was working. He could hear the other's voices, and Natsu was encouraging them to stay positive. Plus, it was helping him pinpoint where they were buried beneath the rubble.

That didn't mean he wouldn't kick Natsu's ass for calling him 'Loxy.'

Still, he had another concern. Lucy wasn't saying anything. The girl wasn't exactly  _quiet._ With Natsu being well,  _Natsu_  surely she'd have said something by now.

"Peek-A-Boo!" Bixlow laughed out. Laxus looked over to see him lifting a very dirty Jet out of the ground. His 'babies' were highly efficient at digging apparently. Jet rubbed his head, dust and small rocks dropping from his wilted hat. The thing was a goner. Not that Laxus was complaining. And people said his  _coat_  was a bad fashion statement. It was nothin' compared to that hat.

"That was the lamest joke I think you've ever uttered Bixlow." But Jet grinned nonetheless. He scanned what was left of Levy's house. "Man, Gajeel's gonna be  _pissed."_

Evergreen let out a snort. "Please, it's  _Levy_ who is going to rip the skin off Ivan when she gets the chance. First Gajeel and now her house?" She shook her head.

"Levy is small, but I fear she's been around Gajeel too long." Freed's smile was faint. "She's adopted some of his…attitude."

"I can't wait to see the cheerleader let out a little piss and vinegar." Bixlow's smile was wide and sharp. "I heard she's freaky with that whip of hers."

Laxus growled in his throat and scented the air again. Dammit, what was going on? Why had Lucy's scent just  _vanished?_  First, she wasn't talking, and now it seemed she was just  _gone._

"What's wrong, Laxus?" Freed asked.

"Lucy's scent is gone." Laxus blasted another rock, reached into the hole, and grabbed Natsu by the scruff of his neck. "I take it you can't smell her either."

"No." Natsu's answer was clipped. Romeo poked his head out. He looked like a mole-child. His face was smudged with dirt, and under it was pale. Bruises stood out on his skin, no doubt from the rubble. Natsu's bruises weren't as pronounced, but Jet looked like he'd been put in the dryer on 'tumble.'

And the dryer had been loaded with dirt and rocks.

"I wonder if Ivan has her," Freed said aloud what none of them dared think.

"If he does, I'll burn him alive," Natsu growled, shaking himself out of Laxus's grasp. In short order, they freed Levy, Droy, and Macao. All of them had seen better days, that was for sure. Dirt and dust coated them like a second skin.

"HEY!" A small, indignant voice shouted. Natsu perked up a bit.

"Happy!" Natsu called. "Where are you?"

"I'm right in front of you Natsu, are you blind?" The voice was coming from nowhere.

"Little buddy I can't even smell you." Natsu's frustration was obvious.

"Is your nose broken?"

"No, it is not broken!" Natsu scanned the area, looking for his little blue friend. "OW." Laxus looked on in amusement as Natsu jumped a foot in the air, grabbed his foot and began cursing. "What the hell was that?"

"ME." Happy's voice giggled. "Why can't you see me?"

"I don't know! But there was no reason to  _bite me_." Natsu growled.

"I think there was." Jet muttered and had Levy giggling despite herself. Okay, Laxus thought. Solve the problem of the invisible Happy—the  _gods_  knew that would only end in disaster—then find Ivan, save Lucy and the lug-head, kick Ivan's ass, and live their lives in relative peace.

Oh, who was he kidding? Fairy Tail was never peaceful, not even  _relatively_ peaceful.

"Enough of this." Freed pulled out his rapier, swung it sharply. Something flashed, and with a twinkling of bells, magick glowed and pulsed. Golden, starry light flickered. "What is this?" A magick matrix flowed, intricate letters, runes, and scripts so old Freed didn't know from what age they hailed from, let alone what they said. It opened, like a curtain made of golden water.

There stood Happy, and steps behind him, a wolf with eyes so green they seemed to hold a thousand shades of it.

"Lucy wasn't crazy," Natsu muttered.

"What?" Droy asked.

"When we were in the Demon Realm, Luce said she saw a wolf. The rest of us didn't." Natsu said. "I thought maybe the Demon Realm was getting to her. It can be rough on first timers."

"You should've believed her." Evergreen scolded. "That forest isn't known for illusions." Natsu didn't retort.

The wolf stood so still it might've been a statue. A statue with eyes that held thousands of secrets. It seemed to be carved from stone, each hair a painstaking masterpiece.

And then is breathed. And moved. And those eyes gleamed in the light. It stepped forward, acknowledging Natsu with what could only be a regal tilt of its head.

"Would someone like to explain what the hell is goin' on here?" Macao demanded.

"Who else is confused?" Romeo asked. Hands shot up, even Laxus's.

"Good, now that we're all confused…" Levy said. "Could someone care to make us  _unconfused?_ "

"We don't have time for this!" Natsu snarled. "Lucy's gone. We gotta find her and kick Ivan's ass!"

"He's right. We don't have time to figure out where this wolf came from or why it can use magick." Laxus said. "Ivan has two of us." Electricity sparked from Laxus, showing his mild expression was a façade. "And it's past time we took this fight to Ivan's front door."

The wolf sniffed at Natsu. It sat at his feet, locked its green eyes to Natsu's ever-changing reflective ones. It seemed to make a decision, then glowed gilded silver, warm and bright. It dissolved, bit by bit, until it was nothing but a bright silver key. It was highly detailed, with fur carved so lightly into the metal; it looked like it'd be soft if you stroked it. It looked like Lucy's other keys, with a symbol on the handle, smooth and clear. Around it, the metal was tooled into fangs and claws, as if to protect the symbol that stood out in emerald green.

Natsu fumbled for the key that seemed content to hold itself in the air. When he grabbed it, the faint silver glow faded from it.

A wolf howled. It echoed in Natsu's head, and flashes of stars spun in his mind. Lucy's smile, warm, bright, and  _new_  held in his mind for a second, burning itself into his memory.

"Natsu!" Laxus hauled him up by the scruff of his neck. Instantly, Natsu protested.

"Hey!"

"It's about time." Jet's eyes were wide. "Dude you look stoned."

"Are you okay?" Levy asked. The concern in her eyes had Natsu confused. It was just one of Lucy's keys!

"Yeah," He said slowly as if they had all lost their minds. "Just a little surprised that one of Luce's keys just appeared like that."

"I'm more concerned about the fact that when you touched it you damn near disappeared!" Levy said.

"She's right." Evergreen had lost her cool. While it would be a lie to say she was  _close_  to Natsu, it'd also be a lie to say she didn't care about him. "Don't you know better than to touch things that might be cursed?"

"What?" Natsu wriggled free of Laxus's grasp. "I was here the whole time. I didn't go anywhere."

"You did Natsu." Happy's voice was thick with tears. "You touched the key and started to fade. W-when Laxus grabbed you the first time his hand went right through you! It took a few minutes for you to come back. You were just a-a shadow!" Happy slammed into his best friend, shaking. "I-I thought we'd lost you again."

Natsu instantly comforted his friend. "I'm sorry, Happy. You know I'm not leaving. Not again." On that point, he was firm. "It didn't seem like that had happened. I grabbed the key…heard a wolf howl…" Natsu hesitated. What had happened after that…seemed private. "And then Laxus was man-handling me."

"I wish we had time to figure it out," Freed said. Even he looked unnerved. "But we do need to get back to Fairy Tail, and start planning out assault on Ivan's base."

Natsu pocketed the key. His grin went savage. If one looked at him now, they'd see him gently holding a blue cat. One hand supporting it, the other scratching it between the ears. Then, they'd take in the whole picture. The dirt covered man, still on the thin side, and with an air around him, that seemed to boil with energy.

Then they'd take one good look at his face, and the grin that lived there and run screaming.

With his fangs clearly shone, his wild pink hair disheveled, and a glint in his eye that screamed pain without promise of mercy, he looked every inch the demon he was. The flames that sparkled along his skin were a nice touch, if unnecessary to complete the image of Fire Dragon Demon.

And he knew it too.

* * *

With the devil in his eyes and the fire in his veins, Natsu walked into Fairy Tail with dark purpose in every step. Relief spread through the Guild at the sight of him and the others, but they quickly recognized the glint in the Fire Demon's eyes.

The dragon was on the hunt.

Gray recognized the look as well, but his concern was the fact that someone was missing.

"Where's Lucy?" Gray's voice was a cold snap. A chill spread through the guild, clashing with Natsu's fiery aura. Gray already knew the answer.

"Ivan." Natsu's voice was a growl. For once the frenemies weren't keen on taking their respective anger out on each other.

Gray's was an icy temper that blocked out mercy, and Natsu's a flammable fury, which burned mercy to ash. Their anger, though expressed in different ways, was well known in the guild. It never failed to spark anger in others—especially when that ire was already smoldering, waiting for the right breeze to send it high.

Almost instantly, the anxious air of the guild snapped to righteous fury. Rage that had been festering since before Gajeel's battered illusion staining the ground beyond the portal, before Ivan sealed the portal and sent members to the unknown, rage that had sparked when Ivan sent a man all too aware of his past mistakes into Fairy Tail to die exploded. Fists pounded, weapons were gathered, magick hummed in the air, voices were raised in shouts and violent promises, until the noise became a battle cry. Until hearts and minds were linked on one goal. One mission.

Find their lost family members.

Kick Ivan's ass.

Walk away from a very impressive explosion.

Okay, so maybe that last one was just Natsu's plan. Something had to explode. It felt as if he were going to. Pent up rage, mixed with the urge to light everything on fire, coupled with the confusion of the images now burned into his brain had Natsu in no mood for talking.

He wanted battle.

"A moment, my children!" Master's voice rose above the battle cry that pulsed around the guild. Tempered the magick that vibrated in the air. "I know you seek vengeance. I know you seek to spill blood, as out families was split. I know the rage that lies in your hearts, as is lies in mine. But you must remember who you are. You are all proud members of Fairy Tail. And as such we know honor. Ivan had been a coward, pulling tricks and hiding rather than facing us directly. We are not at Raven Tail's pathetic level! We do not kill our enemies, rather we let them live to remember their past. Whether they learn from it and change, or use it fuel their fury, is up to them.

"Today, we show Raven Tail a true guild. A true family. Rage is normal, even expected, given our situation, but do not let it consume you! We shall triumph over Ivan. He has started this war, and we shall finish it!"

"Aye, sir!" The response seemed to roar from the guild members.

"No problem, Yoda!" Natsu grinned. His anger was much more focused now. Leave it to Master to temper even the hottest of flames.

"Is now really the time for Human Realm references?" Gray muttered. Natsu ignored him. He was much too focused on the impending fight. He hasn't had a decent fight since he got back. He didn't count the drakon. Wannabe dragon. He'd been interrupted before he'd been able to use his full strength there.

It was probably a good thing. Lucy didn't need to see that.

"You up for this?" Gray needed to ask. It would only take Cana a few more minutes to finalize Gajeel's location. And then they'd have Ivan.

Natsu flexed as if taking assessment. Gray could feel the heat shimmering off Natsu, and knew without Natsu having to tell him that the Fire Dragon was fired up.

"I ain't staying out of this." Natsu seemed seconds from spontaneous combustion. Gray rolled his eyes, noted he'd frozen his drink. So, he wasn't as calm and cool as he thought.

"Wasn't asking you too."

"I was out of commission for four centuries," Natsu said his eyes on Cana. "I'm coming back with a bang. Ivan wants war, he's gonna get it. And he's gonna regret it."

"Got him!" Cana slammed her hands on her table. It was scarred from the times she'd launched cards at it in frustration. It had been a long time since Gray had seen everyone so angry. So focused. Juvia was by his side, her hand a warm comfort in his. Water and ice, he thought with a small smile.

What a combination.

"Where is he, Cana?" Levy, cleaned up slightly, asked. She was flanked by Jet and Droy. Pantherlily was wrapped in her arms.

"The North Mountains." Cana said. "Specifically…" She hesitated. "He's at the Mountain of Silence."

* * *

Gajeel shouldn't be enjoying himself so much. His magick was starting to flag; his wounds were open, raw, and brilliantly painful. Ivan's creatures seemed to have no end. Levy was in some sort of danger and he couldn't help her.

Besides the last point, he was having the time of his life. Nothing like a fight to the death to make someone feel so  _alive._

Wading through enemies, he grinned to himself. It had been a long time he'd gone all out like this. It had been a long time since he'd  _had too._

As an added bonus, Ivan himself was mere feet away. Revenge was so, so close.

Red eyes locked on target. A bruised face grinned. An iron rod to the gut—or worse—would wipe that smirk off Ivan's face. Dragon Force had run its course, and he only had enough energy left for a few attacks. He was going to make them count.

He roared, clearing enemies from his path. Three left. An iron rod slammed the flame chick out of range. Two. Demon Logs sent the stupid Mimic packing. One.

He clapped his hands together, a sword taking form.

"Karma Demon: Iron God Sword!" He swung heading straight for Ivan's smug face. Ivan's dolls flashed in front of the dark mage, and Gajeel thought it a poor defense. Until the dolls fled, and Gajeel saw golden hair and a limp form.

_Lucy._

His sword was in full swing, his magick locked up in the spell. No stopping. And no do-overs. He twisted his sore, magick-depleted body. The sword missed by a foot, destroying the ceiling and most of the wall, but missing the coward who was using Lucy as a shield. The sword dissipated, leaving nothing but bloody and bruised arms. Like a felled tree, Gajeel collapsed.

And as his consciousness faded, he watched Ivan walk away, Lucy in hand.


	24. The Shattering of Ice

Gray figured out pretty quickly why this place was called the  _Mountain of Silence._ He'd never been in a place so freaking  _quiet._  Nothing echoed. It was as if every sound was swallowed by the rocks and black earth. The mountain loomed above them, thick trees and choking mist. The air held a chill. The terrain was rough, with boulders and twisted tree scattered about. No wind blew. Nothing moved.

It seemed like nothing was alive.

Yet Gray knew they were watched.

He could feel the chill of it up his spine. Cold didn't bother him, usually, but it was sure making its presence known now.

Juvia scanned their surroundings beside him and thought she wasn't more than ten feet away, the mist that clung to the ground blurred her image. It was as if a mirage of Juvia stood by him, instead of the real one. Because the thought left a ball of ice in his gut, Gray gestured to her to stay close. It was never easy for him to tell Juvia when he was worried for her, or to tell her he loved her.

She always seemed to know anyway, but some things needed to be said. He searched for the words, licked his lips before speaking them.

But for apparently Natsu had had enough of the whole 'silent' thing.

"Ivan's this way, guys!" In the dreary landscape, Natsu stood out like a pink thumb. Plus, his fiery aura was dissipating the mist, while it seemed to thicken around Gray. Natsu brought movement and sound to the silence. With every move he made the mist seemed to hiss, clearing around him until he was a beacon.

Elfman's bulk broke up the landscape, while Mira and Lisanna's bright outfits were sharp points of color. In fact, Gray thought with amusement, not a single one of them blended in.

They all stood out glaringly.

Good thing they were demons, not ninjas.

Fairy Tail didn't do subtle.

They raced down a path, Natsu's nose leading the way. Instead of climbing higher, they went lower, where the mist thickened to fog, and the silence became oppressive. Walls of gray stone surrounded them, and deep crags of rock-swallowed shadows. Juvia's hand found his, a welcome warmth. Gray could feel the tension and strain in the air. They all were ready for battle. Natsu stopped suddenly, back going stiff.

"Incoming, guys."

Gray watched as the shadows flickered with pinpricks of light.

Eyes, he realized an instant before Ivan's most gruesome creatures melted from the dark. They were hodgepodges of animals, from both the Human and Demon Realms. Some were obvious failures, with missing or extra limbs, but all were armed with sharp teeth and claws.

And, he realized, with more than that. One closest to him sparked and shuddered, its extra head drooling.

"These things are so unmanly." Elfman sounded more resigned to it than afraid of the things. With his size, it would take a lot of them to take him down. Gray met the eyes of a creature and prepared for battle.

"Ice Make: Lance!"

* * *

Lucy felt ill. Everything felt out of balance and her head pounded. Groaning, she sat up, a chill racing up her spine.

_Where am I?_

Memories flickered in her head and then solidified into coherent pictures. Romeo. Magick vanishing.

Explosion.

"Natsu? Levy?" Lucy called out. Her voice simply echoed back to her. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was in a damp, dimly lit cell.

"Cliché much?" She muttered. Ivan wasn't very original. She touched her feet to the ice-cold floor, her queasy stomach rolling in protest. She breathed slowly, not allowing panic to consume her. She had no doubt Fairy Tail was on their way. And she could only hope Natsu and the others were okay. Natsu had gotten out of worse, and the others were nothing if not stubborn.

She sat on a thin bed; its dingy sheet was scratchy but surprisingly reasonably warm. She still felt mildly off, but she ignored it. Cocking her head, she scrunched a brow and listened. What…was that sound? It was faint, but defiantly in her cell. Her eyes focused on the bed on the other side of the room. Something was on it, and it was making an odd sound.

Fear hit first. Had Ivan left one of his creatures in here? The truth hit her like ice water.

Gajeel.

She was at the other bed almost before she registered the decision. The sound was the slight squeak the mattress springs were making in reaction to Gajeel's shivering. He looked worse than he had when Ivan had sent his mirage. Blood and dirt matted his hair. Scabs covered some wounds, but others were open and raw. His clothes were ripped and filthy. His face was swollen and bruises covered what skin was left intact. Ignoring her jittering stomach, Lucy pulled the mattress cover off her bed and ripped it into bandages.

She'd use her own damn shirt if she had too. She took the band that was barely holding her hair up, grabbed the extra from her pocket, and tied Gajeel's hair up and out of the way. He desperately needed a hairband, but her scrunchies would have to do. Gently she bandaged the worst of his wound, wishing for water to clean them out. She ignored the fact that her hands were shaking from rage and fear.

She'd never seen someone so wounded survive. Not without real medical care. And certainly not in a freezing cell that had never seen a scrub brush.

 _He wasn't human._ She chanted it in her head.

A few months ago, that fact had shocked her to the core. Now, that fact was the only thing keeping him alive. She didn't realize she was crying until a rough hand brushed against her cheek.

"Stop it." Gajeel's voice was rough and low. "'m 'live."

 _I'm alive._  She translated.

"I know."  _But you shouldn't be,_  she thought. How could anyone, even a demon, survive? He'd lost enough blood to put an anime character to shame. She couldn't bring herself to look at some of his wounds.

"Stop, B'nny Girl." The expression on his face might've been a smile. It was hard to tell. "I ain't dyin'."

"You better not," Lucy said. "Levy would be pissed." She stood and grabbed the sheet off her bed, laying it over him. It was kind of like putting a blanket over an iceberg and hoping it'd make a difference.

"She 'kay?" His voice was slurred.

"Yeah." Lucy would cut her tongue out before admitting she didn't know. Fussing, she began to tuck the blanket around him, being as gentle as possible. His skin was like ice. She put his hair over his back again. As dirty as it was, it might help keep some heat in. "Built-in blanket." Lucy joked. She still felt ill, and shaky with it, but focusing on Gajeel was helping her work through it. Because she was looking for it, she saw him smile.

So it was surprise rather than fear that had her jumping back when he loosed a growl.

"Jose." He grunted out the word like a curse.

"Now, is that any way to treat me, Gajeel?" A tall, thin man stood outside the cell. "After all, I'm the reason Ivan didn't kill you."

Lucy stood, positioned herself between Gajeel and the man. "Leave him alone!"

"Ah, the young Heartfilia." His grin was ultra-creepy to Lucy. "I recommend you stay out of this. You can't defend yourself right now, let alone poor Gajeel." He held up a hand, silver and gold key dangled from it.

"Get your filthy hands off of them!" Lucy ground out.

"So rude for an heiress. Surely, your father taught you better? But, I imagine he wasn't a good example. Not after what he did." He tutted, wise teacher to foolish student. It only kindled her anger. "This is no place for a lady. If you be a good girl and tell me where the Lumen Histoire is, I'll let you out of here."

"I don't know what that is," Lucy wanted her whip. She'd love to crack it across his face. "I'm not abandoning Gajeel. Fairy Tail is coming. You'll regret this when they get here.  _Now give me my keys."_ She bent down, lightning fast, and scooped up a rock. Thanks to Cana's lessons, she was able to throw it with pinpoint accuracy. The sound the rock made when it smacked against Jose's temple was both sickening and satisfying. Jose jerked back but didn't drop her keys. Rage had his face contorting, and magick tinted the air.

"Insolent wench!" His hand went white at the knuckles as he gripped her keys. Black swirled around them, pulsed and fought against gold light.

With a sound like a scream, her keys vanished.

"NO!" She slammed into the bars. Desperation fueling her. No, no. She'd  _promised!_  Promised to protect them. To not allow them to be lost for centuries.  _No, no no!_  "You  _bastard! Give them back!"_

"No." His voice was deadly calm. "Rot in here. I suggest you think long and hard about the Lumen Histoire. Maybe if you give me a satisfactory answer, I will return your trinkets."

He walked away, leaving Lucy trembling against the bars.

* * *

Gray really hated Ivan's freaky creations. Some of them were so deformed they looked like they could be blown over in a light breeze. Yet they were tough and cared nothing for their own lives. He'd already found out most of them had nasty tricks. Like bursting into flame upon death, or spewing acid blood when cut.

And even better, the path was loaded with smaller trails that lead off into the mist. Natsu's nose had kept them from getting lost in the maze. But a few creatures had some intelligence and had separated some members by forcing them down other paths.

Luckily, he was still on the main path, pushing forward with Natsu in the lead. Laxus had found high ground and was sniping the beasts with lightning. The Strauss siblings had formed a deadly triad, taking enemies down from all sides. Wendy had formed a mini-hurricane, hurling the beasts into rock. Jellal and Erza were a terrifying combination with blades and magick bursting from the sky. Natsu was a tower of flame, scorching enemies to ash.

Cana appeared and disappeared through the mist, taking down anything and everything in her path with lightning quick snaps of her wrists. The Thunder Legion stood below Laxus's high point in the middle of the path, stopping anything from reaching him. They also hurled long-range attacks into the fray, with one member or another taking to the skies and launching air-to-ground support when someone needed help.

Gildarts had vanished into the mist, down another path. Probably, Gray thought, to fight where he couldn't harm anyone. Bisca and Alzack had arrived seconds before Fairy Tail had taken off, and he could see Bisca on another patch of high rocks, using her rifle to take down targets with ease. Alzack held his ground on the battlefield, shooting and requipping faster than Gray had ever seen him manage before. Max and Warren were fighting together, sand and mind reading a surprisingly good combination.

He and Juvia were using their elements in tandem. He froze some of her water to form shields and weapons. She melted his ice creations with water heated by her anger to create deadly tidal waves and water locks. By recycling each other's elements, they saved magick power. Despite the battle, the mist that crept along the ground, Gray couldn't help but think that Juvia was pretty in battle.

Gray deflected a burst of fire, irritation quickly switching his thoughts from Juvia to the battle at hand. It seemed like every second thing he fought had some form of firepower. Even as the thought hit, even as the trap clicked into his head, Juvia screamed. Throwing up a shield on pure instinct, he wheeled around in time to see Juvia thrown against a rock, electricity crackling from her.

The beast that had done it was bigger than the others, like a bear on steroids. Its eyes burned with lightning, and the ground around it sent up sparks. Water and electricity.

Not a good mix.

Panic exploded. Ice bloomed and blocked anything and anyone from getting to Juvia. In the ice cocoon, he cradled Juvia's head.

"Hey, hey you okay?" Her clothes were scorched and her body seemed to be having trouble staying together. Pieces were liquefying and then resolidifying.

"Gray-Sama." Juvia's blue were unfocused. Gray heard ice cracking behind him. Something hot was building in his chest, and he tried desperately to cool it. The effort made him shake.

At least that's what he blamed it on.

"You're gonna be fine," Gray said refusing to think otherwise. She'd survived being electrocuted before. Lightning was a sucky thing for her to get hit by, but she'd be okay.

"Juvia will be….fine." She winced as her torso buzzed apart, then reformed. "Juvia just needs…a break." The ground shook, and ice shattered like glass. Behind them, something roared, caught between bear and something far more savage. Tapping a finger to her forehead, Gray grinned at Juvia. The heat refused to be frozen. He couldn't stop it from building.

He set Juvia into a crevice, freezing her inside. He saw her head flop forward, and he realized she'd fallen unconscious. The heat exploded, became so hot it felt  _ice cold._

With something like a roar of his escaping Gray's throat, he launched himself at the threat. At the bear, that was not a bear. Lightning fizzled from it. A small, logical part of Gray's brain told him that Laxus would be a better match for this beast. Lightning had little effect on  _him_.

Gray didn't care.

He'd take this bastard down. Ivan's  _mutant freaks_  weren't going to take down Fairy Tail. With ice in his veins, he went after the beast.

* * *

Natsu had two goals.

One, find Lucy and the Lug Nut and bust them out.

Two, roast Ivan alive.

He still wanted to walk away from an impressive explosion. It happened to the heroes in Lucy's weird action movies  _all the time._  Didn't she realize that normal humans couldn't actually fight with that much damage done to them? And that being that close to an explosion would probably bust an eardrum?

Humans were so weird.

Still, it looked so  _awesome._

Shaking his head, he watched embers fly. Flames curled around him, turning him into a moving tower of flame. Water, the main weapon of the beasts that attacked him, turned to steam within a foot of the intense flames. He was well in head of his other guild mates, and for good reason.

He didn't want to roast  _them_  alive.

The flames were so intense that the rock around him had started to melt and deform. The mist had long vanished in a hundred and twenty-foot radius. Some of the rocks popped in tiny explosions, cool but unsatisfying. He wanted  _Ivan_ , not his freaky lab experiments. Growling, his flame tower expanded, sending the creatures running in a panic. Concentrating, he brought the flames inward, dissipating the tower. The creatures moved in, probably thinking him weak. He grinned.

_One heartbeat. Twenty paces away._

_Two heartbeats. Fifteen paces away._

_Three heartbeats. Ten and closing._

_Four. Five and starting to leap for his throat._

_Five. Mere inches separated him and death by claws._

An explosion of fire crashed out from him. The fire let out a hungry growl as it consumed its prey. The ones closest to him were incinerated instantly. A black circle fifteen feet out from him was the only evidence that anything had existed there before. Some of the beasts that weren't so close to him had survived, but they weren't in any shape to fight. He'd heard Juvia's scream a few minutes earlier. Now he heard Gray's attempt at a roar.

Even in the middle of a battle, Natsu could shake his head at his rival. Really, Gray called  _that_  a roar? Something had happened to Juvia and  _that_  was his roar of rage. Pathetic.

Natsu would show  _him._

Breathing deeply, letting every emotion crash through him, Natsu braced himself.

And let loose a roar that shouted out his frustrations and anger, his rage and worry for Lucy. The Mountain of Silence, the place that seemed to suck up sound before it was even uttered seemed to reel in shock of such a  _noise._  The Mountain echoed reluctantly, sending Natsu's call deep into the maze of rocks, shattering the oppressive silence even the sounds of battle had barely managed to break through. It energized Fairy Tail, shooting adrenaline into their symptoms. They loosed their own roars back. They were more like battle cries. Natsu grinned when Laxus sent up a roar and bared his teeth with a laugh when Wendy sent him her high-pitched roar.

The sounds were too much for the beasts, which seemed to have  _some_  self-preservation. They fled, vanishing into the crags they'd come from. Only one seemed to have stayed, and it was a big mother.

Gray was attacking it with unrelenting fury. Lightning crackled off it, and Natsu winced. So that's what had hit Juvia. She must not be feeling too hot right now. The intense look in Gray's eyes told Natsu that if he interfered, Gray would go all Ice Devil Slayer on him and freeze him into a block of ice. The bear-like monster let out an unearthly sound. It was like if electricity could scream. Giant clumps of fur fell in patches, and the beast hunched. Its mouth contorted. Its form flickered; it twisted into different animals too fast for Natsu to know what they were. It was even bigger now, and lightning seemed to be its version of fur now.

Thunder boomed from its mouth, and it flickered from wolf to honey badger and back again.

Realization dawned as it stood over Gray.

"No!" Natsu shouted. "Get out of there!"  _It's impossible. They can't be controlled._

There was no way Ivan still had the Raijuu he'd tried to transfer into his son. It couldn't be the thing that was about to melt Gray into a puddle of water.

* * *

Levy loved Fairy Tail. More, she loved being a member that enemies didn't focus on. Not a single one of those freaky creatures had considered her a threat. No, they'd been much too focused on Gray and Laxus, Natsu and the Strauss siblings.

Gildarts, for sure.

But nothing had noticed when she'd slipped from the battlefield, with help from Jet and Droy of course. Fairy Tail was an excellent distraction.

And they all knew it.

Fairy Tail was bold, rash, and didn't care about launching a full frontal attack on Raven Tail.

It didn't mean they couldn't plan an infiltration when Ivan was distracted. Cana, being brilliant the girl she was, had gotten a bit of the layout of Ivan's lair. It wasn't hard, considering Ivan had gone for the cliché dungeon-in-the-basement gig. With Cana's instructions echoing in her head, she slipped around another corner, for once grateful for her small stature. She was able to slip into the tiniest of hiding places when she heard something. So far, she'd seen nothing but limping, drooling, prowling beasts. Obvious rejects that rapped into walls and attacked themselves.

They were gruesome and made Levy's stomach hurt. Ivan was cruel. He shouldn't have made these odd mash-ups of animals, with their odd powers and unpredictable body forms. They didn't care about their own lives and were reduced to bloodthirsty killers.

It made her skin crawl to think of how  _long_  it must've taken to get even one successful experiment. How many animals had suffered and died because of Ivan's obsession? No matter what happened, no matter how long it took, Ivan would fall to Fairy Tail. His desires and twisted ambition would never be allowed to take root and flourish.

Taking the last set of stairs, Levy braced herself. Gajeel would be battered and broken. Lucy….

Well, she didn't want to think about Lucy going through  _anything_  Gajeel had. Eyes alert for guards, Levy tiptoed into the dungeon. It was a dingy, cobweb-filled place. The air was still, stale, and cold. Dirt and rubble dusted the floor, and she couldn't tell if the stone floor was pocked from water damage of from years of feet trudging across the surface. The first cell had caved in on itself, and spiders and rats had made it a cozy home. Obviously, the collapse wasn't recent. The second one was damaged from the first one's failings. The third was sturdy, but nothing lied inside.

The fourth had her heart stuttering. Lucy, her blonde hair dim and dusty, her clothes ripped and her face ravaged by tears that wouldn't fall, leaned over Gajeel. He looked horrible. Worse, much worse, than she'd been able to imagine. Shaking, she stepped up to the bars.

"Lev," Gajeel's voice was cracked and strained. Lucy's head shot up and a flicker of joy shot into her eyes before it was snuffed out. Had something happened? Why did she seem so defeated?

"I'm getting you out." Levy refused to let her voice shake. Refused to let herself break down because the man she loved looked like one swift kick away from collapsing over Death's threshold. The lock on the cell was simple enough. It was designed to dim the magick of its occupants, while not affecting those who stood outside it. Levy quickly picked the lock, thanking some of Gajeel's less than legal skills in some areas. She opened the door but took the time to disable the hinges so it couldn't be closed again.

And then it was all Gajeel. She ran in, and collapsed next to him, running a hand over his face. Lucy was shaking, but from relief, fear, or cold, Levy couldn't tell. He smiled. It looked like that smile motion hurt, but she knew better than to scold him. To pour out her fears and anger onto his lap when he couldn't even sit up. She'd known the dangers. Knew she was lucky to still have him.

"Hey, Shrimp."

"You stupid lug."

He let out his odd laugh; it was music to her ears. It was strained, and obviously hurt him, but she was just glad he was alive. "Glad to see 'ya too."

"We need to get out of here." Lucy's voice was thin as a reed and sounded scratched. Levy realized her friend was crying.

"Lucy, Lucy, it's okay. We're getting out of here." Levy smiled. "Fairy Tail is here. We're gonna kick Ivan's ass."

"Levy." Lucy shook with another sob. "Jose…someone named Jose is here too. My keys. Levy, he took my keys. He, he made them vanish. I don't know where." She couldn't get the scream out of her head.

"We'll get them back," Levy said in such a fierce voice Lucy jolted. Levy wouldn't let Jose win.

Ivan could throw an army at them; he could throw Jose at them, his beasts and his minions. Anything he had at his fingertips, Fairy Tail would face and fight and  _win._

Fairy Tail would rise after the hardest of blows.

After the blood had been spilled after the war had been fought after despair had reigned and tears had fallen, after they lived in the moment of war and died in the fall, after the last enemy had fallen and after their own friends held on by their fingertips, Fairy Tail would rebuild. They would patch the wounds of war and the cracks of the foundation that were only there to make them  _stronger._  They would take the attacks meant to kill, the explosions meant to maim, the beasts meant to tear throats and spill blood, and they would keep coming.

They would  _endure._

They didn't know of another way to live. They didn't know how to  _die._  They didn't know how to  _give up_. They didn't know what it meant to be outnumbered. They didn't know the meaning of enough when they were dragged into battle.

Ivan had started this, had kept chipping at Fairy Tail's patience over centuries. He'd pushed and shoved, and pushed some more. He'd been a dog with a bone, chewing until the only thing left were sharp, hard bits meant to stab the throat and mouth on the way down.

He'd begged for his own destruction.


	25. Siege of Blood Castle

When it dawned on Gray what  _exactly_  he was fighting, he knew it was far too late. He'd heard Natsu's shout, heard the underlayment of fear that Natsu would never admit to. Raijuu were creatures of pure lightning, untamable, unstoppable. He didn't know  _how_  Ivan had one, or why it seemed to obey him. There was no time to think. There was only time to dodge, to play a deadly dance where stepping on your partner's toes meant death. His ice was nothing to this thing.

And Gray knew it was just playing with him.

He'd pissed it off, so now it had to retaliate. Had to show Gray just how inferior he was. Or maybe Raijuu just liked playing with their food.

Gray was going to make sure he wasn't so easy to swallow.

He dodged another blast, rolled, and felt his tattoo ripple on his skin. Black marks spread up his arm, and cold little needles shot into his skin. It was only for an instant, but let him know the spread of the marks. He grinned to himself when he felt it crawl over his eye, knew the little tingle in his iris was it changing color. He stood, staring the creature down. It gave another roar, and Gray swore it grinned.

His ice, now charged with Demon Slaying magick, was deadlier now. He was going to  _end_  this. This thing wasn't going to get away with hurting Juvia. They were getting to Ivan's fortress, they were going to save Lucy and Gajeel, beat Ivan to the ground, and this wasn't going to stop them. He took a deep breath, preparing his attack.

"Ice Devil's Rage!" Ice and snow roared from his mouth, shredding anything in its path, and dropping the temperature several degrees. He'd never known just how much fun Natsu had, shooting flame from his mouth. Now he knew, only with ice-which was of course, so much cooler than fire.

He could also eat ice, which would give him a power up. He still remembered the look on Lyon's face when he'd pulled that move for the first time. Gray had laughed out loud and Lyon's face had been one of utter shock. He regretted not having a camera then, and he regretted it now.

But right now he wasn't laughing, his heartbeat echoed in his head, the sound of Juvia's scream pounded in his ears, and rage was a welcome companion. The smoke didn't even have to clear for Gray to know that his attack had failed against the Raijuu. He could still feel the electricity sizzling in the air, could sense the beast's immense magick.

And again he wondered,  _how had Ivan managed to control it?_

It was hard to tell what expression was moving over what passed for the Raijuu's face. It was hard to look at, as it was simply light and crackling power. It was like a mobile sun. Even so, Gray could tell it was done playing. Lightning exploded around him, shattering rocks, and sending him flying. Electricity coursed through him, and he had no control over his body. As such, he couldn't brace himself for landing. He slammed against a rock wall, and still limp, couldn't do much more than start to fall back to earth.

He didn't get the chance too.

The Raijuu was on him again, and all Gray could see was the thing's maw. Jagged teeth shifted between being made of lightning and being solid lined its jaw. Lightning arced through him again, shooting pain to places he didn't know he had. If only he could  _move_. The air was charged with power, and Gray wondered if the rest of Fairy Tail was alright. The lightning blast might've gotten them as well.

Gray cursed, tried to move, to form  _something_  that would stop him from getting  _eaten_. Of all the ways to  _go_. But with the lightning in his body, and the lightning in the air, he was helpless. A fly caught in a web. The electricity seemed to form a matrix, stopping Gray's fall, but preventing any thought of retaliation. Pain surged through him, and he couldn't stop the shout. Did this thing like to  _cook_  its food before it ate it?

He wouldn't lose. He refused to. He was an  _Ice Devil Slayer,_ a power gifted to him by his father. He wouldn't tarnish the legacy. So he couldn't move. So his magick scattered away from the lightning in his body like ants from a destroyed nest. He wasn't going to lose.  _He wasn't going to lose_.

"Ab-Absolute…" Gray huffed out, forcing his magick to gather, for it to fight as he was fighting. "Zero!" Ice burst from him, a wave of cold. The air chilled, and Gray was falling again. He saw the Raijuu, suspended by its lightning, frozen in the sky. It wouldn't last.

Suddenly, he wasn't falling anymore. He was flying. Someone had grabbed him, right under his armpits. He looked up and saw Freed staring down at him.

"I trust you're okay?" Freed asked.

"Yeah," Gray sighed in relief. If the Thunder Legion was here, that meant Laxus was too. Still, it rubbed the wrong way. He wanted to fight it. But they needed to get to Ivan. And Laxus had a better chance of subduing the beast. "Laxus better drag that thing to hell."

"I don't think it'll be a problem." Freed gestured with his head. Gray looked over to find Laxus, grinning savagely, going hand to hand with the Raijuu. Lightning clashed against lightning, flashing in the dim sky. Thunder growled, or it might've been Laxus and the Raijuu, Gray couldn't tell. They set down beyond the battle. It was like watching gods clash. The landscape below them was steadily annihilated as errant or blocked attacks slammed into the ground. The rest of Fairy Tail had gathered behind him, watching the battle as well.

Gray's heart slammed into his throat. He looked over at Freed, who'd dissipated his rune wings.

"Where's Juvia?" If she was still down there...

"She's fine," Freed assured. "Bixlow got her out of the line of fire. Wendy checked her out." Freed's brow scrunched. "In fact, I'm rather surprised she hasn't-" Freed was shoved out of the way, and a flash of blue sent Gray crashing to the ground.

"Gray-Sama." She beamed down at him. His arms were full of her, and his battered body protested a bit at the rough landing. It didn't matter. She looked a little rough herself, but her body stayed in one piece.

"Glad you're okay." He said after a moment. He was  _well_  aware of their audience. The sounds of Laxus's fight were clear as day. He was about to suggest that Juvia get off of him when a chill ran down his spine.

"We need to get moving," Erza instructed, pulling Juvia and Gray up by their ears. Gray grinned despite himself. He should've known she'd step in. "Natsu has already gone ahead." Gray rolled his eyes.

"Of course he has." Gray sighed in relief when she released his ear. He refused to rub it. Something crashed, and he was momentarily blinded. Laxus's fight was getting intense it seemed.

"We also need to get out of Laxus's way," Mira said, back in her normal form. There wasn't a scratch on her her skin, no tear in her dress. "He can't go all out with us here." Freed hesitated a moment, along with Evergreen and Bixlow, but they soon made their way towards Ivan's lair.

"We'll save some for you Laxus!" Mira shouted at him, and Gray saw him shoot her a grin.

Gray set his sights on the doorway.  _We're coming Lucy, Gajeel._

* * *

Getting out of the cell was great, and boosted Lucy's mood. Plus, Levy was fine and had assured her the others were too. Definitely good news. She knew that Natsu was charging over here, ready to kick ass. According to Levy, the rest of Fairy Tail wouldn't be far behind him. Ivan was done for. Levy said they'd been attacked by Ivan's creepy creations, but Lucy was sure it wasn't anything they couldn't handle. Ivan's dogs wouldn't stand a chance. Keeping that thought close to her heart, Lucy focused on the problem at hand.

Yeah, getting out of the cell was the easy part.

Now they had to get out of the dungeon, somehow find Lucy's keys, and meet up with the rest of Fairy Tail.

All while dragging a semi-unconscious dragon slayer around.

Yeah, because that  _screamed_  stealth.

It seemed to Lucy that Gajeel weighed just about as much as the piles of iron he liked to eat. He'd boasted that he was  _made of iron_  before, but now she wondered if it was true. Surely he couldn't weigh as much as he felt like he did. And Happy called  _her_  heavy. His arm weighed more than her torso, it seemed. Even with both of them, one under each arm, dragging him was an interesting task. Half of him was still in contact with the floor. It probably didn't feel good, but they didn't have a choice. They weren't going to leave him behind, and using magick would set off the sensors that Levy had seen inscribed on the wall. They were absent in the dungeon. Probably so one could torture prisoners without the whole place lighting up like a giant firecracker, or shrieking with an alarm.

"He never...gets lighter, no matter...how many times I do this." Levy puffed out. Lucy didn't know how her boyfriend didn't squash her.

"Wait," Lucy swallowed. "You've dragged him...before?"

"Yeah," Levy grimaced. "Tale for...another day."

"S'rry," Gajeel grunted. Levy and Lucy looked at each other over his bowed head. At least he was conscious. Lucy thought he'd fallen unconscious again. He seemed to fade in and out. It made fear ball in her gut. Had her impromptu bandaging failed? With his blood loss, and the fact the wounds had been for who even knew how long, he wasn't in good shape. Infection was a real worry, especially since he'd been in that cold craphole of a dungeon.

 _He wasn't human._  She still chanted it in her head, a pray now instead of a mantra. Wendy could patch him up when Fairy Tail got there.

"No worries." Lucy tried to keep the strain from her voice. When they got out of here, she was hitting the gym even harder than before. "You'd do the same for us."

He would, Lucy knew, but he could lift them with ease. They were at a disadvantage right now. If they had to fight, Lucy wasn't so confident with the odds. She didn't have her keys, and she didn't have enough room for her whip-which she'd stolen back from the dungeon's supply room. Levy had her magick, but they were both hampered by the iron weight between them. Gajeel had to know that, even with his mind swimming in pain.

It didn't matter. They would simply deal with whatever came.

"Shut up Lug Nut." Levy hissed out. "What else did you expect us to do?"

"Don't know," Gajeel muttered, his voice slurred. "Let ya..know…"

His head rolled limply as if every ligament in his neck had dissolved. His skin was like ice still, and he was shuddering. Impulsively, Lucy pressed her free hand against his forehead. She discovered where all his body heat had gathered, as the heat that radiated from his forehead was enough to light a small fire. Alarm shot through her. Levy's small hand checked as well. Lucy didn't have to look at her to know worry clouded her friend's expression.

_Damn Ivan._

"He'll pay for this," Levy vowed. She wondered if Gajeel had taught her that expression. Even with Levy's tiny form, the pure anger that morphed her pretty face into such a violent promise was frightening.

"We need to lay him down somewhere," Lucy said, scanning the halls for guards or creatures. "Dragging him around can't be helping. We need to lower his fever."

Lucy could practically  _see_  Levy's mind running at full speed. Calculations streamed in her eyes, a brilliant mind in a bite sized form.

"Cana got a decent look at this place," Levy said finally. "If we go up this corridor, and head right, somewhere down there should be a generator room. With magick so high in there, there won't be any alarm scripts. We could heat his body up, and start sweating out the fever." Levy looked over at Lucy. "But then we can't find your keys."

"We'll find them," Lucy said. "I know we will. But Gajeel needs help, and he needs to now. Let's go."

They bore down, moving as fast as they could, but trying to keep from opening his wounds up again. Every now and again he'd mutter something, but the Iron Dragon Slayer was well and truly out of it. They only encountered a few guards, but since they were mostly made up of rejected experiments, it wasn't hard to hide from them in crevices in the wall or in a randomly selected room. It seemed most of the rooms down here were deserted.

Finally, they reached the generator. Lucy could feel the magick of the generator from outside the door. The girls nodded to each other in agreement. Lucy shifted until she was solely holding Gajeel up. Levy, movements measured and calm, gently opened the door. She edged her way in, checking for guards, looking for hiding places. Lucy scanned what she could see of the corridor under Gajeel's bulk. Nothing. Levy slipped out of the room, quickly taking her half of the load. They dragged him into the room and shut the door softly behind them. Levy directed Lucy over to the furnace. The fire inside would've made Natsu's mouth water.

They hid in the dark behind the furnace, the heat was oppressive, but welcome, as the basement was cold, drafty, and moist. Laying Gajeel out, Levy and Lucy checked his wounds. Nothing serious had opened during the move, but his breathing was rough, and his heartbeat stuttered under Lucy's palm. To her credit, Levy remained calm, despite the tears Lucy could see building in her eyes. She seemed to be cataloging the wounds, and their severity. Levy opened the bag she had with her, pulled out bandages, antiseptic and several more supplies.

They worked without a word, they cleaned wounds, soothed with touches and low hums rather than voices, they bandaged the worst of them, and neither of them cringed when they had to stitch wounds closed. Levy showed Lucy how, and it felt surreal to watch wounded flesh close up over muscle and bone.

At last, Levy spoke. "Water." Using a bin from her bag, she gathered the word into it. Soaking a cloth, she pressed it against Gajeel's feverish head.

They'd done all they could.

* * *

The second he'd seen Laxus and the Thunder Legion enter the battle, Natsu had taken off. If Laxus couldn't beat the Raijuu, then he was pathetic. They'd be fine, and he was sure the rest of his guild wouldn't be far behind him. He'd probably need them to breach the fortress. Ivan's creatures had distracted them long enough for defenses to enable, and for Ivan to plan a battle strategy.

Well, they had a strategy too.

_Crush anything and anyone that stood with Ivan._

They were taking the fortress. Ivan had finally gotten the war he'd wished for. Too bad it'd end with him smoldering face down in the dirt.

Growling, Natsu inflamed a battlement that had dared to take aim at him. If Ivan's only defense were a couple battlements and his failed experiments then this would be easier than Natsu had ever expected.

He continued his solo march, heat radiating from him in violent waves. He could see the fortress carved into the rock. Hollow windows stared like eyes, and jagged bits of rock formed fanged mouths. The whole place reeked of black magick and blood.

Lots of blood.

Some of it stained the ground, while still more had splattered against the fortress itself. The silence was a solid weight here, heavy with the desperate screams of the sacrificed. Those spirits pulled at him, pleading things, begging, crying, screaming.

But spirits couldn't speak.

He realized this was why this place soaked up sound like a sponge. It was the spirits that sucked it up, so desperate were they for their voices, they wished to steal the sounds from the living. They were everywhere. He couldn't see them, couldn't hear them, but he could  _feel_  them. Spiders along the skin. The cold tip of a finger, its flesh long gone, tracing a line down his back. The weight of words that should've been there, but weren't.

He could smell death, he could sense their emotions.

He wasn't a necromancer or a soul-stealer like Bixlow. He wasn't sensitive to the ghosts of the past, but when they gathered in such groups, it was impossible not to feel them. Even mortals would feel such a presence in the air. He wondered how Levy had fared against them if she'd come across them at all. She'd entered through a hidden door, not the main door, and spirits had trouble manifesting without help. No, these spirits had been waiting for someone to come. For someone to release them.

Spirits were one thing that could make even the oldest Mythic sweat, or quake in their boots.

They unnerved him, these invisible manifestations of life lost. He could only imagine who they'd once been, what they'd once lived for. But he wouldn't let them stop him. In fact, he figured they didn't want him too. If Ivan had brought their deaths, then they'd want revenge. They'd want him dead too.

He couldn't oblige on the last part, but he could beat Ivan until his own blood ran out on the stones to mix with the blood of those he'd killed.

It left a raw taste in his mouth as he continued on. He'd always known Ivan was bad, known he'd hated Fairy Tail. But Natsu had never imagined Ivan capable of  _so much_  death. Of so much destruction.

How could the son of Master Makarov end up so twisted? How could Ivan hate as deeply as he did? How could he disregard life so easily? It boggled the mind.

Natsu had lingered longer than he'd realized, as some of his friends had caught up. He wasn't sure what to do when he saw Bixlow among them. If he had to guess, Bixlow had probably sensed so many souls gathered. The tall man stood at the edge of the bloody field, and even though Natsu couldn't see his eyes, he imagined they were wide. Bixlow's tongue was behaving itself, for once tucked in his mouth.

"Bix?" Evergreen touched a hand to Bixlow's shoulder. She had to feel it too. Had to know. Bixlow slowly removed his helmet, as if it would clear the spirits from his sight once he did.

Natsu wished he'd kept it on.

Bixlow's entire face was white, his eyes glowing eerily green as he scanned the landscape. Natsu didn't flinch when his gaze passed over him. He knew Bixlow wouldn't take control of him. He could see Bixlow swallow from twenty yards away.

"What the fuck did Ivan  _do?_ " Bixlow asked no one in particular. Evergreen shivered.

"I've never felt so many spirits." She commented, keeping a hand on Bixlow's shoulder as if to ground him.

"This entire place is a graveyard." Bixlow bent to touch the ground, letting out a breath as he did so. "But why?"

"I don't know," Natsu ground out. "But we need to keep moving. When we take down Ivan, then we can release them." He looked back towards Bixlow. "Defeating Ivan might help some of them move on."

Bixlow stood, replaced his helmet and looked up at Ivan's castle. "I'm going to enjoy this." He said it with dark promise, and Evergreen's eyes glittered with malice.

"The others should catch up soon," Evergreen said. "I think when they do, we'll lay siege on this place."

"Why wait?" Natsu asked. Spreading his legs, he sucked in a breath. The door to Ivan's Blood Castle was tall and probably made of thick stone embedded with enchantments. He wondered how long it'd hold up to his barrage. He wasn't playing around. A normal roar wouldn't do anything.

If Ivan wanted to play king in the castle, then Natsu would show him what a real king's power was.

"Fire Dragon King's Roar!" He rarely used this magick. This tribute to his father. Mostly because he didn't normally need it, and it wasn't something to waste. But it had burned at the base of his throat, built-in his stomach as rage had built. It was time to let it loose. He controlled himself enough so that the ground wouldn't be damaged. If this place was a graveyard, he wasn't going to disrespect it.

The blast shook the ground, and the heat evaporated the ever present mist. Flames sparked and crackled. Natsu grinned.

Let the storming of the castle begin.


	26. Uprising

Of course, things were rarely so simple, especially for Fairy Tail. The blast had indeed opened the castle door, allowing them access.

Though if Natsu was going to be completely honest, he'd practically destroyed the entire front of the place. Oh, well. It was nothing Ivan didn't deserve.

No, what threw a wrench into the plan was the rapidly descending Laxus.

And the  _crashing_  Raijuu. It fell just beyond the blood field, carving a fresh scar into the earth. Laxus landed without an issue, having turned into a lightning bolt. He looked a little rough, but Natsu couldn't see anything serious. But the Raijuu didn't look injured either, but it was hard to tell since the thing was  _made_  of lightning.

"You okay?" Bixlow called over to Laxus. Laxus titled his head over his shoulder, a smirk dancing on his lips.

"Fine," Laxus said. His smirk faded. "But it seems I can't eat this thing's lightning."

Natsu gaped at him.  _How_  couldn't he? Had Ivan  _seriously_  managed to control the Raijuu that he'd used on Laxus? That had been  _centuries_  ago. Raijuu were forces of nature. They were unpredictable, chaotic things. And by the same token, it was  _impossible_  that Ivan had caught another one.

"Shit," Bixlow muttered. Natsu watched the Raijuu rise. Its form kept shifting, from wolf to badger, to bear and others. Yet its eyes were always brighter than the rest of it, and its teeth seemed to be the only solid part of it.

Great, Natsu thought, they got to fight freakin'  _Zapdos._

The second he thought it, he cursed Lucy and her obsession with Pokemon. She'd brainwashed him without even trying.

He'd have to get her back for that later.

He could feel the electricity in the air, and he felt his hair stand up on end. As it was still longer than he normally kept it, it couldn't go straight up, but it sure was trying. Eyeing the Raijuu, Natsu wondered how he could help. This thing needed to go  _down._  Laxus was handling it well, but since he couldn't eat the Raijuu's lightning and his attacks weren't having much effect, it was a slow battle.

The earth shook, and the Raijuu let out another scream. Electricity arced off it, in all directions. Laxus couldn't block them all, though he tried. Thankfully, the rest of Fairy Tail hadn't yet caught up, though they had to be close. A bolt shot past Laxus's guard and headed straight for Natsu. Bixlow shouted, and Natsu reacted on instinct.

He swallowed the bolt.

He was blinded in an instant, and pain shot through him. He knew he hit the ground, but everything was scrambled. It was heat and light, power and pain.

Something odd happened. Heat melded to heat. Fire and lightning connected. The pain faded, and the unnaturalness that made his stomach roll calmed as well.

"Natsu?" Bixlow's voice broke through the buzzing in his head. He grinned without thought.

Oh, this was gonna be  _good._

He blinked and was glad he was able to see again. Sitting up, he looked at Bixlow.

"I love being me." He said as electricity sparked off him. Bixlow's tongue snapped back into his mouth, only to loll out again when the Seith mage grinned.

"You didn't."

"I did."

Natsu was well known for eating things he shouldn't. While he could eat his own element and regain power, it didn't work well for other things. He'd taken a chunk out of pure etherion once, during a fight with one of Tartaros' lesser demons. He'd been younger at the time, and it was the first of many demons he'd had to face as his brother had slowly spiraled into insanity. He'd slept for three days after that one, but he should've been dead, so it was a win-win to Natsu. They both looked over to see Laxus send the Raijuu flying, and he looked to be enjoying himself  _far_  too much.

"I think you might be able to save that for another time," Bixlow said. "Laxus has this handled."

"Too bad," Natsu frowned. He pushed the lightning down. Now, _this_  was something he could pull out to kick Ivan's ass. The old bastard wouldn't expect it. His gaze was drawn back to Laxus. "What is he  _doing?_ "

The Raijuu reared, sending lightning crashing around Laxus. Unaffected, Laxus shot towards the beast as a lightning bolt, aiming straight for its heart. When he connected, the light was far too blinding for anyone to see. After a few seconds, the light died, and Natsu tried to comprehend the scene before him while blinking spots from his eyes yet again. Laxus stood, power flickering off him, his back to the Raijuu. The Raijuu was still. Before it had been a mass of moving light, thousands of sparks flickering to life and fizzing out, in constant motion.

Now, it was utterly still, and silent. There was no hum of electricity. Nothing.

_Had Laxus killed it?_

It was impossible, but no more so than the Raijuu being there at all was. Fairy Tail, as always, seemed to thrive on the impossibilities of the world. Constantly testing new boundaries, and setting new standards of what was possible.

Still, nothing moved, until slowly, the Raijuu dissolved, particle by particle, spark by spark. What was left-its life force, the residue electricity-drifted towards Laxus. He flexed his back, muscles straining, as he and the Raijuu became one.

This had been Ivan's goal when Laxus was a child. To make him powerful via the Raijuu. Now, it seemed, Ivan had his wish, but his son would never help him, would never become Ivan's weapon. Instead, Ivan had created something he could never control.

Lightning sparked along Laxus's skin, but it was brighter than before and held a slight blue tint. The Raijuu was nearly gone, and Laxus was glowing now with power. Natsu heard the rest of Fairy Tail heading over. They'd probably seen the lightning sparking and stayed back until they thought it was safe to come by. No one wanted to get nailed by a stray bolt.

Laxus titled his head towards the sky, as the last of the Raijuu vanished. Over Laxus's form, lightning sparked out, creating the hollow figure of the Raijuu, this time in the form of a dragon, surrounding Laxus. Natsu grinned.

"Show off," He heard Mira mutter.

The mirage faded, and the lightning died out until it was just Laxus standing on scarred rock. The silence had collapsed in again, and it was like nothing breathed.

Until the ground beneath Bixlow and Natsu's feet glowed with a magick circle, and the spirits around them began to pull at their sleeves, whispering incoherent words in their ears.

It seemed another one of Ivan's traps had sprung.

* * *

There was nothing but the sound of the generators, and all they could do was feel the clashing magicks from above, and hope that their friends were safe.

Gajeel had warmed considerably, which Lucy figured was a good sign. She may not have been able to tell what was going on above her, but at least here things didn't seem as dire as they had. His fever hadn't faded, but at least the rest of his body was finally at the right temperature. It would help him fight off the infection that ate at him.

With nothing to do but wait, Lucy found that boredom settled in quickly. The adrenaline had faded, and her fear had diminished. She was restless, she realized. She wanted some action, even if it was the last thing they needed right now. She only had her whip, and Gajeel was a dead weight they couldn't exactly run away with.

While she was sure Levy had plenty of fight left in her, it wasn't the best place to get into a battle, and certainly not the right time. They needed to stay off Ivan's radar, and hope Wendy could patch Gajeel up better than they when they finally reconnected with the main group.

Still, despite the logic of it all, Lucy wanted to kick some ass. She was angry, at Ivan, at Jose, at this whole  _place_. She wanted to release her frustration, in a way that broke noses and cracked her whip across a face.

Man, Natsu really  _was_  rubbing off on her.

Good. She'd use it to get what she wanted, and she wanted her keys back.

"The others will be here soon," Levy assured and Lucy caught the light of battle in Levy's eyes. Seeing Gajeel like this must've kindled anger in the small fae. The need for revenge boiled along the skin, but neither had an outlet.

The castle shook again, as it had a little while ago. She could almost hear Natsu cackling. They were storming the castle, she was sure. Ivan would soon regret invoking a war.

"I know," Lucy said. She watched the slow movement of Levy's thumb over Gajeel's large hand. She hadn't stopped holding his hand since they'd gotten him bandaged. Her small hand was dwarfed by his, and yet when their fingers linked it was like it was a perfect match. "We're gonna make it out of this. All of us."

"I know." Yet her grip tightened on Gajeel's hand. Lucy was pleasantly surprised when he squeezed back, and her eyes shot to his face. His face was swollen and bruised, but his eyes were open, and his eyes were clear. "Gajeel," Levy whispered.

"Hey, Lev." He muttered. "Where are we?"

"Still In Ivan's fortress," Levy said. "In his generator room."

The way they were looking at each other made Lucy feel like an intruder, but it wasn't like she could go anywhere. They needed to stay together. She watched Gajeel's eyes shift around, and she suddenly realized they were surrounded by metal. She stood quickly, waved off Levy's startled questions. Scanning the ground and machines, she soon found an old pile of metal. She picked a few the were relatively unrusted and carted them over to Gajeel.

"I know you can make some Levy," Lucy said. "But let's save that for when we really need it."

"I know," Levy said and Lucy realized she'd been contemplating it. "There may not be alarms down here, but someone could still sense my magick if I use it too much. Sorry Gajeel, I know mine tastes better."

The girls helped Gajeel sit up, and he picked through the metal Lucy had grabbed, snapping off bits with the same ease one bit into a steak. She'd never been this close when he was scarfing down metal, and it hit her, as it always did, just how utterly unnatural it seemed. After he'd eaten a few pieces, Lucy noticed his magick levels rising, and his eyes didn't seem as tired as they had. It wouldn't  _heal_  him per se, it would simply give him more magick to work with, and magick could help heal the body it was contained in.

"Glutton," Levy muttered as Gajeel bit into a gear. He grinned at her, and Lucy was relieved to see him so lucid. He'd always been one step off his game since she'd woken to find him in her cell.

"Nice find, bunny girl." Gajeel complemented. He was still beat to hell, but the fever had faded a little, his skin had warmed, and the shit-eating grin once again adorned his face.

"Thanks," Lucy said.  _Thank god he's not human._ Gajeel grimaced and looked up. The hairs on his arm were standing on end.

"Lightnin' Rod's goin' at it." He said. It took a second for Lucy to equate the nickname to Laxus. She supposed since Gajeel's nature was metal, he was more sensitive to such things. Lucy looked up too, wondering just how much distance was between her and the rest of the guild. Hopefully not much.

"We're gonna tear this place down." Gajeel laughed, and it dawned on Lucy that his laugh was like metal plates rubbing together, and she wondered if that was how his father, the metal dragon Metalicana, had laughed.

"Natsu alone could do that," Lucy said, thinking about her destructive friend. She'd heard stories of the things he'd destroyed in his overzealousness, and while she hadn't seen Natsu go all out, it wasn't a far stretch of the imagination to envision such a thing.

"Yeah, but there ain't no point in lettin' Salamander do it alone." Gajeel countered.

"You're in no shape to tear anything apart." Levy scolded. Lucy winced.  _Don't dare him, Levy._

"Watch me." Lucy rolled her eyes. Men. Whether they were dragons, demons, or human, they couldn't resist a challenge.

"Don't you dare," Levy said pointing a slim finger in Gajeel's face. "Stop this nonsense right now."

" _Make me._ "

Lucy had been effectively pushed out of the conversation and could only watch as Levy's eyes flashed at the dare and their faces leaned towards each other. Gajeel's hand cupped Levy's check and she grabbed what was left of his shirt and kissed him deeply. Lucy blushed and looked away.

Really, weren't they at war?

"Aw, we made her blush." Gajeel teased several moments later. She looked back over at Gajeel's amused face, his face dusted with his own blush. Levy was red, but smiling sweetly. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Shush," Lucy said. Her heart warmed though, for despite the embarrassment they were so cute together.

"We should get moving," Levy said clearing her throat. "If they're starting to storm this place, we don't want to get in the way. After all, if we're still in here, they can't tear the place down."

"Always gotta be right, don'cha?" Gajeel teased. The girls rolled their eyes and started to help Gajeel up. "Get off, I got this." He brushed their hands aside and stood slowly as if testing the motions. She could only be grateful he wasn't stupid enough to spring up and risk ripping open his wounds.

When he stood fully, Lucy grinned up at him. Finally, Gajeel was at his full height and looking good for a man who was beaten near to death. He rolled his shoulders slowly and nodded to himself.

"Yeah, I can kick some ass." He declared.

"Good," Levy said, gathering their supplies. They headed for the door, moving much faster than before. Gajeel's gait was rough but it was better than carrying him. Levy cracked the door open, looking for guards. She slipped out the door, signaling for the others. Lucy was halfway through the door when she realized Gajeel was eyeing up the machinery in the room, a manic light in his eyes. Before she could even ask, his arm shot out, in the form of an iron rod, and machinery crashed and groaned. Electrical sparked and smoke billowed from something that looked important. Gajeel's arm returned to normal after a few more strikes and he grinned at her.

"Move it, Bunny Girl, somethin's gonna blow." They left, closing the door behind them. Levy simply shook her head, and Lucy suspected Levy had figured he'd pull something like that.

They made it around the corner when something exploded, and the lights in the halls when from dim to pitch black. The fortress shook, and Lucy stumbled into a wall.

"Brilliant idea Gajeel." Levy deadpanned.

"Hey, we crippled 'im from the inside." Gajeel retorted.

"Stealth means nothing to you."

"Nope."

"Levy, some light please?" Lucy asked wondering why the hall was still shaking. Levy said 'light' and the hall glowed brighter than it had before. Stones danced on the ground, and smoke started to thicken in the air.

"Why is everything still shaking?" Levy asked. It got worse until it was like an earthquake.

"Wasn't the explosion," Gajeel said his voice a growl. "Somethin's happenin' topside." The air chilled, and magick crashed into the air, black as Ivan's soul. Lucy found herself pressed into Gajeel's chest, squeezed next to Levy as he kept them up. Fingers skittered along her skin, and a sickness curled in her gut. The walls pulsed with magick, and she watched as the dark fingers of it slid up the walls like a black stain. The air pulsed with power and the sheer magnitude of the spell chilled Lucy to the bone.

What was Ivan pulling?


	27. See, I've Come to Burn Your Kingdom Down

This wasn't good. Natsu had been in some bad situations. He'd had to face down his own brother. He'd been trapped in a prison for centuries. He'd lost his father.

There was also that time he'd been cornered by that over-affectionate giant dog, but that didn't really count, though he  _still_  said he could've drowned in dog slobber, no matter what Gray thought.

But this may top even his fight with Zeref. And that was saying something.

The magick circle glowed around them, and it was clear it had been drawn with blood. The stench of it clawed into Natsu's nose, slithered down his throat. Rocks lost their glamours and bone showed through, shining white, and obviously human. Skulls stared blankly as magick filled them, making their eyes seem to glow.

For one horrible second, Natsu thought Lucy's zombie movies had come to life.  _Aim for their heads,_  he thought, overwhelmed with the scent of blood and the magick crashing around him. For a moment, he wished for a crossbow.

But the skeletons didn't grow flesh, and though their eyes glowed, nothing moved.

A wall of magick shrieked up to the sky, cutting them off from the others. Natsu's eyes burned, but he forced them to stay open. Quickly scanning, he found Bixlow on his knees, his dolls lifeless around him, his helmet gone.

Natsu started to stumble towards him--obviously, something was seriously wrong--when the bones around them exploded like dynamite. Crashing to the ground, Natsu could only watch as the bones shuddered. Around the piles of bones, something writhed, trying to pull itself together. There seemed to be several of them, and the bones became body adornments and  _parts_  of the beasts that were forming.

Bixlow was shuddering now, and sweat dripped off his nose despite the huge drop in temperature.

He couldn't see the castle, and the only magick he could sense was the black around him. It lay heavy on the air, mixing with the scent of blood and rot until Natsu's stomach was nauseous in a way usually only achieved by transportation.

It wasn't just the scent-eating at him, Natsu realized. It was the black magick all around him. It sensed the black magick within Natsu. The magick that made up END. It pulled at that part of him, the part he couldn't quite control.

The part he'd nearly loosed during his fight with the drakon.

It tempted him, whispering in the back of his mind, trying to get him to release that power. He was more powerful as END. Unstoppable. He'd be able to take whatever was forming. The idea was almost painfully exciting. Fire bloomed brighter inside him, and he could feel his canines sharpening.

This power had worked before, hadn't it? It'd destroyed his enemy, and despite his imprisonment, he'd lived.

 _The power of END helped you live through that._ Natsu couldn't tell if it was his own dark thoughts speaking to him, or something else entirely.  _END allowed you to live. END can help you now. Destroy Ivan. Wreak havoc on this pitiful place, and show them the true power you have. They are nothing compared to you._

_You could save Lucy. She's screaming for you, can't you hear her?_

For a moment all Natsu could hear was Lucy screaming his name in utter terror. His nose filled with the scent of fresh blood. Lucy's blood.

And then it was gone. He snapped back to reality so fast it was like being hit with ice water.

He shook his head and found himself staring into Bixlow's strained eyes.

The Dread Knight looked horrible. His clothing was in tatters, his skin was pale, and something about his face seemed hollow.

"Bixlow?" The name formed as a question. Natsu hadn't seen anyone look so bad since he'd looked in the mirror the morning after he'd been freed. And he'd never seen Bixlow look so  _serious._

"Get out of here," Bixlow commanded. Something dark lived behind his eyes.

It hit Natsu then. This magick had pulled and tugged at the darkest part of him, trying to bring the blackest magicks in him to life. It  _wanted_  him to lose control. It wanted the dark to rule. If the magick was tugging at him, then Natsu could only imagine what it was doing to Bixlow, whose magick was technically black magick.

"We're both getting out of here," Natsu growled. Black magick be damned, he wasn't losing  _anyone_  to Ivan. It wasn't happening. "Get your ass in gear Bixlow, you're a Fairy Tail Mythic, act like it."

Looking over Bixlow's shoulder, Natsu could see that the demons-if they were demons-had finished forming. They turned their empty eyes on them.

"Oh, shit." Natsu recognized them now.

Newly formed Devourers.

Or,  _some_  of them were Devourers, others took forms unknown to him. Maybe they were still Devourers, or something else. Either way, it was bad news. They needed pure magick or white magick to counteract this, and fast.

Bixlow swallowed, hard, sweat sheening his face, his jaw clenched tight. Natsu didn't know what the black magick was whispering to him, but it couldn't be good. He'd never seen Bixlow struggle with his abilities, never seen him waiver or come close to hurting a comrade.

Never seen his eyes so haunted.

"Bixlow," Natsu snapped out. "Whatever's being shown to you, whatever you're hearing or seeing, or remembering, it's either in the past or  _not real_. You're better than this, stronger than this."

Bixlow's eyes clamped shut, and the Devourers seemed to hum, not coming any closer, but their hollow gazes were focused on Bixlow. Pissed, Natsu stood, flames licking at him. Stepping in front of Bixlow, he blew out flame until a wall stood between the Devourers and Bixlow.

"Lisanna," Bixlow muttered. Natsu glanced back in surprise. Was there something going on between them? If so, it would be the first he'd heard of it. Whatever the case, if it helped him focus, then that's all that mattered. The flames were the only sound now, crackling across the ground. He could see the dark forms behind the wall of flames, and for a moment, he heard a voice laugh. It sounded familiar, he couldn't place it, but he knew it wasn't Ivan.

A Devourer ripped through the flames, undeterred, and Natsu could swear it grinned. Flame poured out around Natsu, pure magick may the only way to kill them, but flames could still hurt.

Ivan could throw whatever he wanted at them, Natsu wasn't leaving without shoving Ivan out a window, burning this place to the ground, and saving Lucy.

And Buckethead, too.

The flames died when Natsu's eyes locked onto Bixlow's. He hadn't noticed the Dread Knight come in front of him, and he didn't like the way Bixlow was moving. It was like a doll on a string.

Suddenly, nothing felt right, and he couldn't move. His body didn't feel like his own. Dread pooled in his stomach.

Bixlow had taken control of his soul but allowed it to stay inside his body. The grin that twisted Bixlow's features was nothing short of mad, and the look in his eyes edged toward sadistic.

Natsu couldn't speak. He didn't know if it was shock or if Bixlow's control extended so far.

"I think it's time to play," Bixlow said, in a voice that wasn't quite his own, his dolls spinning around him, chanting all the while.

Natsu had never realized just how scary Bixlow could be.

* * *

The shaking stopped. Lucy told herself to be grateful, but the eerie silence that surrounded them now was somehow worse. The air was still smeared with black magick, making every breath feel heavy. Gajeel still held them tight, like he wasn't sure it was safe.

"Gajeel?" Levy's voice echoed in the silence, and like a spell had broken, Gajeel's iron grip loosened. The dragon demon drew himself up to his full height, which never failed to make Lucy feel like a midget, and scanned their surroundings. The hall had held up under the onslaught, but Lucy wondered if some of the beams were weakened now.

"What the hell happened?" Lucy asked, hoping  _someone_  had a clue as to what was going on. She had a sick feeling in her stomach, and she didn't know if it was from the black smear in the air or some instinct that was trying to tell her that something was wrong.

"Don't know," Gajeel rolled her shoulders, and Lucy winced. He could open his wounds! "But I don't like it. Skin's crawling."

Lucy shuddered.

"We should get to the upper levels. If the ceiling collapses…" Levy didn't finish her sentence. She didn't have to. If the ceiling came down on top of them, thousands upon thousands of pounds of dirt, rock, and stone would crush them. At least on the upper floors, they'd have the chance to jump out a window or something.

"Yeah, and maybe get out of this black magick crap," Gajeel grumbled. Lucy agreed, it was unsettling, to say the least.

Gajeel moved faster now, but he was still injured, and the faster he tried to go, the more pronounced his limping became, and the greater the chance he'd open his wounds. Levy scolded him, more than once, to take it easy. Lucy understood his want to rush-they were in enemy territory, and beyond lucky they hadn't been caught yet. The faster they reached the rest of Fairy Tail, the better.

Still, it did them no good if Gajeel ripped open every wound on his battered body and the fever returned. He needed Wendy.

It took forever to find stairs, and by the time they did, Lucy had begun to wonder if Gajeel was lying about how much better he felt. He was winded, and she  _knew_  he was clenching his jaw in pain. Levy knew it too-she'd probably noticed it before Lucy had. She knew him far better. They couldn't stop though, the black magick hadn't faded, and it was starting to make her nauseous.

The problem was the stairs-they were narrow, cut roughly from solid rock, making them uneven and broken from centuries of use. There would be no hiding if they encountered guards here. It was a horrid place to fight--no room, and one false move would send you tumbling down the unforgiving steps, possibly taking out an ally as you went. It wasn't a good situation by any stretch of the imagination, but staying wasn't an option either.

It was starting to grate on Lucy's nerves, this inability of Ivan to find them. No alarm had been sent out, guards were few and far between, and she hadn't seen Jose since he'd visited her cell.

She was starting to get suspicious. Surely Ivan knew something was up? Knew his prisoners had escaped and were even now heading back to their allies?

It had to be a trap.

Or was Ivan so confident, he figured he could take them out?

Lucy didn't want to find out. She wanted out of this creepy-ass castle.

She was glad for Gajeel and Levy's presence. This place would have had her going batshit inside of five minutes without them. Ivan had mastered the element of "creepy."

With no other choice, they started slipping up the stairs. Despite Gajeel's protests, Levy went first, then Lucy, then Gajeel. Gajeel weighed the most, so it made sense he would be the anchor. If the girls fell, he should be able to catch them. If he lost his footing in front of them, it'd be like a scene out of a treasure hunting movie, where the giant boulder comes bearing down on the hero, and there's no escape. Lucy had no desire to meet the stairs in such a way, she had no doubt it would hurt.

Another reason to have Levy first was because her magick wasn't hindered by small spaces. Gajeel would have trouble swinging for an attack, and Lucy couldn't really use her whip here.

The stairway immediately made Lucy feel penned in. She'd never been claustrophobic, but the stairwell was crooked, with cracked stone, cobwebs and an eerie feeling that was punctuated by the dark magick that permeated the air. It made her skin crawl and stomach turn. It was also dimly lit, and the shadows seemed to writhe like living beings, ready and waiting to swallow her whole.

After her meetings with the Devourer, she wasn't entirely sure they  _wouldn't._

She hesitated at a step, sure she'd seen something moving. Gajeel gave her a nudge, and his warmth at her back was a comfort.

"Just a mouse, Bunny Girl."

Lucy had to swallow the urge to shriek. Mice weren't her favorite animals. Still, she'd take it over one of Ivan's creatures.

She moved on, her nerves strained. All she wanted was to see Natsu's grin and the familiar faces of the guild. She was done with this freaky place. She could feel the tension in Gajeel and Levy as well. This whole affair was starting to fray their nerves.

Gajeel stopped suddenly, every muscle going tense, a growl vibrating through his form. In response, the girls readied themselves for an attack, going on alert just as much as Gajeel.

Lucy scanned their surroundings, wondering how she was going to use her whip in such a confined area. It bent and twisted to her will, but there had to be a limit, right?

"Move up quickly," Gajeel ordered. Lucy heard it now, the scrape of claws against stone, the whisper of steel sliding out of a sheath. Caution forgotten, the girls scrambled up the steps, Gajeel hot on their heels, and the sounds of their pursuers become clearer.

Levy slammed bodily into a door as they hit the top of the stairs nearly at a run. Gajeel spun around at the threshold, shouting a spell Lucy didn't quite catch, but she clearly heard the sounds of several people tumbling backward down the stairs.

She winced reflectively when she heard the cries of pain. She was so glad it was them and not her taking that long, painful, way down.

"So we're up a level," Levy said.

"We need to keep going." Lucy rubbed her arms and scanned the darkened room. Something wasn't right here. They still needed to head up. She doubted one flight of steps would take them to the ground floor.

"Lucy!" Startled, she swung towards the voice, her eyes locking onto Loke's. He glowed oddly, and his form flickered. He held the rest of her keys, and his hand was outstretched.

"Loke!" Relief exploded through her. They were okay! She stumbled towards him without thought, nearly crying with relief.

"Lucy no!" Gajeel's tone was a worried snap, and it stopped Lucy in her tracks. She froze, one part of her desperate to reach Loke, the other obeying more  Gajeel's tone than his words. He rarely used her name for one, and she'd never heard him use that tone of voice on her.

Something here was really wrong.

"It's not Loke," Gajeel's voice was still rough, but it wasn't the snap it was before. "He reeks of Jose's magick. It's just one of his Shades."

Before Lucy could respond, the fake-Loke snarled something at Gajeel, but it was too garbled to make out. The color faded from it, Loke's face vanishing, her keys snapping out of existence. A purplish ghoul stood-or rather floated-where Loke had been. Its eyes were hollow, and it reminded her of a Devourer with its skeleton hands hidden beneath layers of moth-eaten clothing.

Gajeel's hand wrapped around her shoulder, and he snarled at the Shade.

Her eyes locked onto his sharp canines, and his red eyes seemed to glow in the darkened room. She didn't fear him. She never had. But she found herself glad he was on their side. She wouldn't want to have to face him.

His wounds, she noted, only enhanced the image. Cuts marred his skin, and his piercings caught the dim rays of light from the half-collapsed chandeliers above.

She didn't think the Shade was intimidated though. It didn't seem to have to ability to feel fear, and she didn't think it could feel pain either. If it was made by Jose's magick, she couldn't imagine it would be anything he'd care about if it was destroyed.

Although she didn't think he'd care about a human soldier dying either. He was just too cold. His soul was as dark as the shade in front of her.

"There's no point in fighting it," Levy said. "It'd just reform. We need to leave."

"Jose's watchin'," Gajeel growled. "Bastard's using the Shade as a security camera."

"Then he can watch us fight our way out of here if we need to." Levy declared. Her small stature belied the size of her warrior's heart. She was every inch the fighter Gajeel was.

The walls shook again, magick crashing overhead.

At the very edge of her hearing, Lucy heard someone yell. Gajeel grinned, looked up.

"That'd be Natsu." Lucy smiled too, staring down the Shade.

"Hear that Jose? Ivan?" She taunted. "We're here to tear your castle down."

The Shade let out a garbled sound, something like a scream of frustration, but something crashed overhead, and light burned into Lucy's eyes. It was nothing more than the mountain's dim light, but it was brighter than the dusty chamber, and a welcome change.

But nothing was brighter than the grin stretched across Natsu's face.

* * *

There was a long moment in time where Natsu's thought process consisted of nothing but ' _oh shit, oh shit, oh shit'_ while he stared at Bixlow's twisted face. It was like the man he knew was  _gone._  And all that was left was this shell of a man that thirsted for power and held Natsu's soul captive. It would take  _nothing_  for Bixlow to rip his soul out and place it in a doll or sacrifice it to the Devourers.

Natsu swallowed. Bixlow was a member of Fairy Tail, and no matter what Ivan or the Devourers were whispering in his head, he didn't believe Bixlow would do him serious harm.

Gritting his teeth, he stared at Bixlow, unafraid.

"Lisanna," He choked out. His throat didn't want to cooperate, and his tongue felt thick. But the name cleared Bixlow's odd expression a bit. He'd have to tease Lisanna later. There was  _something_ going on there. "Come on Bix, you know you don't want to do this."

Bixlow shuddered, and Natsu felt the grip weakening on his soul.

"You're not a monster," Natsu said, his voice low. He knew what it was like to be considered a monster. Even in the Demon Realm, some people were considered more monstrous or inherently evil than others. Dread Knights were one of them, and as Zeref's brother, Natsu was in the same boat. Zeref had messed with Natsu's magick, with his life. Bixlow was born like this.

Neither had done anything to ask for their powers. They simply had to live with them.

"Natsu?" Bixlow voice was rough, with none of the usual humor or teasing in his tone. The spell below them was pulsing like it was weakening. The Devourers were bleeding souls as if they were falling apart. Natsu couldn't figure out why, but he didn't think it mattered. So long as this spell stopped.

"Yeah, Helm-head," Natsu joked. "Think you could let go of my soul?"

The sentence seemed to snap Bixlow out of his trance. The glow from his eyes faded and shame etched itself into Bixlow's face.

Natsu let out a clear breath, feeling his body and soul go back to normal. He didn't miss the look on Bixlow's face.

"Stop that." He snapped, out of patience. "You didn't hurt me, and you wouldn't have. I don't know what the hell you were hearing but you fought it. Don't even think about giving me some bullshit about how you're dangerous or can't be trusted. I don't want to hear it. You've never hurt anyone in Fairy Tail, and you didn't now. So are you gonna help kick Devourer ass or are you going to mope?"

Bixlow's grin stretched across his face. "Let's kick some ass."

The spell below them shattered. Jerking in surprise, Natsu and Bixlow watched as the Devourers gave ear shattering screams and fell to pieces. Souls flashed in front of them, cold wisps of former human beings.

For a single instant, Natsu could see them. Their eyes were haunted, their spiritual bodies bore the wounds their mortal bodies had sustained. Blood dripped from the wrists like they'd been tied up. Their grief, hatred, anger, and sadness permeated him straight to his bones.

And though they faded, Natsu knew they hadn't moved on.

The dark magick lifted, and Natsu breathed easy for the first time since it activated.

"They want revenge," Bixlow muttered, staring at his wrist. Natsu's stomach dropped, for Bixlow's wrists were savagely torn into, like he'd struggled against thick rope. He heard bones falling to the ground and shattering, but couldn't look up to see. His gaze was locked on Bixlow's wrist, which slowly healed itself, the skin pulling itself back together. "Ivan and Jose sacrificed them to create Devourers. Devourers are made when innocent souls are killed and left to rot. They're born of genocides and mass murders. They thought I could control them. That spell was set to trigger when I stepped on it. It just needed longer than they thought to activate."

"Ivan's racking up crimes," Natsu growled. His brow furrowed. "Wait, Jose's here?"

"He was," Bixlow said. "I saw it in the flashes of memory they showed me."

"I'll burn him to a crisp too!" Natsu snarled.

"Bixlow! Natsu!" Lisanna sprinted across the bone strewn graveyard, dodging bones with ease. The rest of Fairy Tail had caught up and had obviously been waiting for the spell to deactivate. Or maybe they'd had a hand in destroying it. They didn't have time to find out.

Bixlow's face brightened, and he caught Lisanna out of the air, burying his face into her hair. Natsu's jaw dropped. He thought something was going on there, but he hadn't expected this!

They said nothing, but Natsu had a feeling they'd been together awhile.

Bixlow turned to Natsu, his hand linked with Lisanna's.

"Let's go kick ass." Natsu grinned as Bixlow's tongue lolled out after his statement.

Natsu looked over at the destroyed front of the castle. Finally, they could storm the place. They could find Lucy and Gajeel and make Ivan pay.

Natsu charged, and from the roar of sound behind him, Fairy Tail wasn't far behind.

Natsu skidded to a stop just before the entrance, his ears picking up familiar voices. He ran along the front of the building, ignoring Gray's shouted protest.

 _There_.

He could hear Lucy, along with Levy and Gajeel. They were below ground but from the sounds of it only one level down. A quick fire dragon's roar had rock crumbling and dirt blasting away from his friends.

He couldn't stop the grin that stretched across his face. His eyes lighted on each of his friends, in turn, lingering on Lucy. They were dusty, had cobwebs in their hair, and Gajeel was covered in bandages. The girls had a few bruises but were otherwise unharmed.

"Natsu!" Lucy beamed at him. Jumping down, he stepped over to them.

"Lucy!" He greeted just as brightly as if they weren't standing in an enemy's castle that reeked of Ivan's experiments and could potentially be ambushed at any moment. "Well, this makes things easy. Now all I gotta do it tear Ivan apart." He looked back over at Gajeel. He was relieved that Gajeel was awake and standing. After seeing his holographic image, Natsu had wondered if he'd be dragging Gajeel out of here unconscious.

"What?" Gajeel demanded. "I ain't lookin' my best, but I can still kick your ass."

"You couldn't kick Romeo's ass right now." Natsu scoffed. "You've got so many bandages you might as well be a mummy."

"Boys!" Levy scolded. They didn't have time for Gajeel and Natsu to get into a pissing match. "We still need to take down Ivan and Jose."

"So he is here," Natsu growled. That was another complication. Jose was close to being on Gramps' level. Ivan was probably no pushover either. Plus, they both had expendable soldiers.

"Yeah," Lucy said in a shaky voice. "And he's got my keys."

Natsu's head snapped to Lucy. Lucy had told him what the spirits had gone through. And he'd seen for himself what they meant to her. For them to be in Jose's hands….

"We'll get them back." He pulled her towards him, lightly touching his forehead to hers. Her eyes blinked and he could see her fear in them. She was more worried than she let on. "This I promise you."

A crackle echoed in the chamber, like a mic turning on. "Hello, Fairy Tail," Jose's twisted voice spoke from nowhere. "I see you've made yourselves at home in Ivan's castle. I also see that Salamander has wrecked the front door. How unfortunate. Ivan is very upset, as you could well imagine. How would you like it if we broke something of yours? You need to understand that. You also broke the magick circle I took so much time to make and killed many of Ivan's successes. I'm afraid we'll have to break something of yours." There was a scuffle, and something metallic clanged together. "I hold in my hand Lucy Heartfilia's gate keys. They're very pretty. Now, legend says they're indestructible. I think we should test that. I have several experiments setup, and we'll see what it takes to break these keys.

"But first, I wonder what it'll take to break this young man's arm." Someone shouted.

"Loke!" Lucy screamed. "Leave him alone! Get your disgusting hands  _off my keys!"_

"L-Lucy," Natsu could barely hear the lion's shaky voice. Blood pounded in his ears, and he shook with rage.

"He made the mistake of summoning himself." Jose tutted. "Now I've got him bound so he can't return to the Spirit Realm. I've always wondered what makes a spirit tick. Now, I have one to take apart, piece by piece."

"No!" Lucy yanked herself away from Natsu, her voice vibrating with rage and unshed tears. "Don't you  _dare_  lay a hand on him! I'll tear  _you_ apart."

"Now, now. Temper temper." Jose sounded amused, and it only served to make Natsu angrier. Loke choked out another scream and Natsu heard something crack. "If you make me angry, I'll have no choice but to take it out on your friend. Surrender, and I'll stop."

"We're past the point of no return," Gajeel growled. "We ain't surrendering, and we ain't leavin'."

"Leave him alone." Natsu's voice was strange to his own ears, more of a dragon's snarl than anything. "We're going to tear your castle down. And I'm going to rip you apart. Jose! Ivan!  _Prepare to get dragged to Hell."_


	28. Ohana

Gray just had to trust Natsu knew what he was doing. He wouldn't have run off without a good reason.

At least Gray hoped he hadn't.

With no time to see what Natsu was doing, Gray launched an attack. It seemed that Ivan had had enough. He'd sent actual human soldiers this time, along with more of his creatures. These ones, however, seemed to be more successes than failures.

It didn't take long for things to escalate, however.

The small squad of Ivan's soldiers was easily defeated. Far too easily. It didn't take long for them to see--well,  _hear_ \--why.

Jose had an announcement to make, and he didn't want anyone to miss a word. By the end of it, Gray was shaking with rage. Loke was one of his best friends. He wasn't going to stand for this. He didn't care who took Jose down, so long as the bastard got what was coming to him.

"Gray!" He jerked and looked over at Natsu. Trusting his friends to have his back, he jogged over to Natsu quickly.

"Listen," Natsu said. Gray knew that look in the dragon demon's eyes. Pure rage. He could feel the heat pouring from Natsu, just as Gray was sure Natsu could feel his own icy rage spilling out around him. "I found Luce, Levy, and Gajeel. We're going to take on Jose. Can you direct everyone to Ivan?"

"Yeah," Gray said with no small amount of pleasure. "I'd like to kick Jose's ass, but Ivan needs it too."

"You'd have to get in line." Natsu snarled. "I've never seen Lucy so mad."

Gray grimaced. The women in Fairy Tail were scary as it was, but getting them angry just wasn't advised.

"Alright, we'll go after Ivan," Gray said. "Just don't get yourself killed."

Natsu shot him a fanged grin. "Nah, got too much to do."

"Let me come," Wendy's voice cut through the sounds of fighting. After Jose's announcement, more soldiers had flooded out of the ruined front door. "Gajeel probably needs medical attention."

Natsu nodded to her. "Yeah, Metal Breath could use some patching up."

"Don't overdo it," Gray warned.

"I won't." Wendy chimed. Gray and Natsu bumped fists, before running back to their respective groups. Gildarts had returned, carving a path to the threshold. Gray could tell he was holding back. He couldn't go all out, not with most of the guild by his side.

Slamming his fist into the first soldier he encountered, Gray wondered where Ivan had himself hidden. The coward wouldn't come out to face them, of that Gray was sure.

"Elfman!" Mira's voice screamed. Gray turned in time to see the giant of a Mythic fall. A small black creature darted away from him, before scrambling up the leg of a tall man dressed in a black poncho. His skin was an odd shade of blue. His expression didn't change, but his little creature seemed to be laughing. Elfman showed no signs of getting up anytime soon.

"His magick's been drained!" Mira reported. Gray was just glad to see that the big man still breathed.

"Watch yourselves!" Macao warned. Cana's cards shot out of the crowd, aimed straight at the strange man. A tendril of fire incinerated the cards before they could reach their target. A wall of flame erupted from the ground before Gray could locate the flame user.

The line of battle shifted, and several members of Fairy Tail were forced back by the new, and stronger, members of Raven Tail.

The flames receded and shrunk back towards a woman in siren red. Gray realized it was her  _hair_ that was on fire.

Well, that was a new one.

"You better leave now, Fairy Trash." The woman spoke, her head cocked to the side. "We were chosen by Master Ivan to take you down."

The man said nothing, but his creature danced on his shoulder.

"Die," The woman intoned, her hair growing again, and shooting upwards. Gray prepared to make a shield, and the others braced for impact.

Her hair grew up the side of the fortress, flames flickering brightly. Something sizzled, and Gray's eyes locked onto the small fuses that had been ignited by her hair. Some of her hair had wrapped around them, ready to lob them into the crowd.

"Bombs!" Gray shouted.

They shot backward, avoiding the small barrage of bombs that rained down. The ground shook again, and Gray watched as several small cannons were positioned on the exposed floors. Magick, thick and black, swirled around them.

"Jupiter canons!" Erza warned.

_Shit._

A flash of golden light crashed against one of the canons, smashing it to pieces. The smaller cannons were more portable and easier to aim at enemies that were close in range, but they were weaker, both in shot power and in structural integrity. Jellal stood by the ruined cannon, his hand shooting out to rip the soldiers controlling it off their perches and sending them to the ground.

Fire wrapped around Jellal's waist, the woman trying to stop him. Jellal merely activated Meteor again, pulling free from the inflamed hair. In less than a minute, the Jupiter cannons were destroyed, and Jellal looked far too pleased with himself. Sometimes, Gray forgot just how powerful the man was.

"If this is the best you've got Ivan, I suggest you surrender now," Jellal said, landing lightly in the front of the group.

"Master Ivan will not surrender!" The woman said, launching more hair at them. It was a highly  _odd_  form of attack, but Gray wasn't going to try to explain it. It didn't matter anyway. All that mattered was that they took these idiots down.

Ice crashed against fire, and it was very obvious to Gray that the woman's hair wasn't nearly as hot as Natsu's flame. It wasn't weak, but Gray had seen better.

Mira, enraged, was going toe-to-toe with the man that had drained Elfman's magick. Gray could only assume she was moving too fast for him to lock on her magick and drain it. Lisanna was protecting Elfman's fallen form, her blue eyes cold as a frigid sea.

Bixlow by her side, and the way they protected each other was a beautifully choreographed dance.

Unknown to Gray, the way he and Juvia fought together was a dance as well. One with different steps, a different beat, but a dance nonetheless.

"Take them all down!" Laxus roared, spurring a battle cry from the Fairy Tail wizards.

The flame chick backed off, heading for a different opponent, or going to activate another surprise, Gray didn't know. He wasn't going to let her get away.

He chased after her, wondering just how much damage he could inflict on this place in the process.

It amused him to think what kind of havoc they could wreak if they actually intended to destroy something.

He barely had time to dodge an attack from above. He fell backward, bracing a hand on the ground and flipping out of the way. He glared at his new opponent. The guy was freaky looking, with purple tinted skin and a face a mother would ask for a return on. Gray didn't even know what to make of the guy's chin.

"I don't care who I take down," Gray snapped. "We'll take out all of you."

"It's you that's going down, Fairy scum."

The sounds of battle were exploding around them, and Gray knew he couldn't take all day with this guy. They'd wasted enough time already. This had gone beyond a rescue mission. They'd come for blood. They'd come to take Ivan down.

And no one was going to stop them.

A giant fist crashed next him, and Gray dodged again, noting how his opponent's body had beefed up and grown spikes. He wasn't sure what kind of magick it was--something akin to Master's Titan Magick, maybe, just on a lesser scale.

It didn't matter. He'd win.

* * *

Fury burned in his gut, and his impatience only stoked the fire. He bit his tongue to prevent himself from snapping at poor Wendy, who was healing Gajeel as fast as she was able to. She was strong, but healing took a lot out of her. It didn't help that she'd been fighting all day. The look on Lucy's face only spurred his anger. She wasn't supposed to look like that. The fury and the fear were unnatural for her. She should be smiling and laughing.

He'd burn this place to the ground if it made her smile again.

"There," Wendy smiled at Gajeel. Most of the minor wounds had closed. The more serious ones were reduced, and Natsu could see that some of the pain had fled from Gajeel's eyes. The girls had patched him up pretty well, but Wendy's magick had given him that last boost. Technically, Gajeel should probably head back to the guild to recover fully. But there was no way he was going to do that. Gajeel was far too stubborn, and he wasn't going to leave Levy in Ivan's freaky castle. Natsu knew he wouldn't leave Lucy here.

Gajeel cracked his neck, stretching himself out as if testing his newly healed body. "Let's get these fuckers."

Lucy's whip cracked out, and he could see the calculations in her eyes. Without another word, they headed deeper into the castle. Every turn they took muffled the sounds of battle until it was eerily silent. The only sound was only their own breath and occasional scrape of claws against stone.

Ivan's creatures watched. And waited.

Natsu couldn't get a lock on them. Their smell was had to pick out from the musty scent that filled the corridor. Lucy was leading, and she didn't hesitate for an instant. He couldn't smell Loke or Jose in the air, so he figured she was tracking her keys' magick.

Every step they took made the hair on Natsu's neck rise. He didn't doubt Lucy or her directions, but every step seemed to take them deeper and deeper in the castle, where black magick seeped from the walls. Blood--old and new--blended into the dusty smell. He was also concerned as to why Ivan's creatures didn't attack.

Every instinct screamed that this was a trap. He didn't see how they could avoid it, though. Lucy would never without her keys, and there was no way he was going to leave this castle without bringing Jose to his knees.

Plus, Loke was a friend and a member of Fairy Tail. He couldn't be left behind.

Lucy paused, her head tilted to the side.

"This is a trap." She spoke, breaking the silence.

"Yep," Gajeel said, his voice unconcerned. Wendy looked nervous, but she stood strong. Levy was watching the walls.

"Loke's just up ahead." Lucy's voice shook, and Natsu couldn't tell if it was fear or anger-or a combination of them both.

Going on instinct--or maybe it was impulse--he stepped up to her. His hand slid up her back. It just felt right. She looked at him over her shoulder, and he simply grinned widely.

"Fairy Tail is family." He said. Remembering one of her favorite human movies-one that never failed to make her cry, he pulled her close. "'Ohana means family,'" He quoted. "'And family means that-'"

"'Noone gets left behind.'" She finished with him.

"Let's go rescue our family." Stepped away from her, he gestured for her to do the honors--he'd already broken one door, he could let Lucy break this one.

She took a breath and marched up to the door. It was made of solid wood with iron reinforcements, and he wondered if she would need help to break it down without her keys.

She literally glowed, and with something like a high-pitched roar--her attempt at a battle cry--slammed her foot against the door in a kick that would make Erza proud.

It exploded with golden light.

Low, rough laughter sounded behind him. "Better wipe that look off your face, Salamander, 'less you plan on catching flies."

Natsu's mouth snapped shut.

"Oh, you are totally sunk." Gajeel gave him a rough shoulder bump and headed for the newly opened door. Natsu ran to keep up, his heart beating fast--faster than it should've been.

He didn't have time to examine the emotions running through him, though he knew one was pride. Lucy had gotten so much stronger since she'd come to Fairy Tail.

And so he was in step with Gajeel when they stepped into the room.

Jose was in the middle of the room, Loke was unconscious at his feet, and another gold key glowed in Jose's hand. Lucy was already in motion, fury fueling her movements.

As she reached Jose, he grinned viciously.

And the key in his hand shattered.

* * *

Magick blew across the battlefield like an ill wind, striking grief into the heart and causing mages--on both sides to falter--but only the members of Fairy Tail heard the scream of agony that belonged to no member that they knew of.

Everything ceased.

Nothing moved, and silence slammed in once again, suffocating and binding.

Magick pulsed in fitful and violent tremors. The earth rose around the castle, sending rocks flying only to have them crash down again without a sound. The vibration of it all reverberated in their skulls, and the sound in their heads was almost human. Almost understood.

All went still.

Through the air-or maybe it came from the ground, or in their heads, or in their blood, or in their magick--a single voice spoke.

Or maybe she sang. Or whispered.

"The gate has opened, the seal shattered as the key was shattered. The blood has been spilled--the blood of the dragon, the blood of the heavens the blood of the redeemed, the blood of the  _Asterodea_.

" _Hic omnes qui ingrediuntur desperantibus_. Death is coming. Death is here. Tremble and know. Fight in vain. All is lost."

The world went black.


	29. One Last Act of Tragedy

Death stung the air. It was thick feeling as if it had suddenly turned into a humid summer day on the mountain. The sky cracked, spider-webbing as if it were glass. Those cracks pulsed like a heartbeat. The air vibrated with it, a strange and foreboding pounding in the chest. The sky cleared of clouds, and the velvet blue glowed before fading. Black leeched from the crack, staining the sky. It looked like an infected wound, one that needed amputation.

The colors of the mountain faded, though there hadn't been much, to begin with. The soundless mountain  _looked_  soundless, like an old photograph, faded and blurred. The mist, having been mostly blasted away by Fairy Tail's fight up the mountain, returned, thicker than ever.

The mountain's magick was getting a boost. The black magick that had spawned there, the blood that had stained the earth only fed into it, black into black. The earth continued to shiver and shake as if trying to expel the dark that had been forced into it. Great cracks in the ground mirrored the ones in the sky. Wind ripped through the cracks and crags with a force that should've had it screaming but still no sound could be heard. Blood, old, brick red and near to black, bubbled up from the ground, coating rock, and bone. Bone cracked and skulls smiled, their empty sockets staring at nothing.

Gray dragged in air, every breath a fight. It was like this place didn't wish to support life anymore, and so the oxygen in the air fought to escape their lungs. Sickness rolled his stomach, and he was pretty sure the hand he'd slammed against the wall to brace himself was now slicked in blood. Another heartbeat thrilled in his chest, slower, older. It was in the air, in the walls, and in the ground.

That combined with the voice that had spoken into his mind, made Gray feel a primal fear. Adrenaline crashed into his already shocked and unbalanced system and for a second he wanted nothing more than to  _run._  Fight or flight instincts  _demanded_  he run. That he live. Whatever made that heartbeat was older, stronger. It was not something he could beat. Fear was like acid in his blood, sizzling along his nerves and sending his heart into a frantic tattoo. He could imagine it clearly-the curse and blessing of being able to create anything he wanted out of ice was having a very vivid imagination-see himself turn away from his friends, his family, his guild, and run like a coward down the mountain. Run into the warm forests and welcoming streams. Just leave. Live. Survive.

A hand gripped his free one, and he didn't even have to look to know it was Juvia. He linked his fingers with hers. It was mutual fear that had them reaching for each other. His hand left the wall and wrapped around her, their linked hands let go long enough to slid up each other's arms to complete the hug.

It was more than a hug, it was a reassurance. They lived and breathed. They were both flesh and blood and beating heart. The fear faded, and horrible need to run followed it. A hand slapped against his back, and the fingers dug into his shoulder just a tad too hard. But he could see the scarlet hair skimming over his shoulder and knew Erza was reassuring herself too. It made him feel a little better-he wasn't the only one with that horrid need to abandon them-but it shook him to realize that even the great Titania had felt that fear. He could see Jellal behind Juvia, mirroring Erza's gesture, his face pale but composed. Gray sent him a half smile. It was still a fight to breathe, but knowing his guild was beside him makes it easier. Jellal smiled back, a bit more reserved, but it was more reassurance.

_Not alone, not alone, not alone_

He looked at Juvia, who was squished in the middle of the strange group hug. She grinned up at him, causing his heart to trip in his chest.

He caught Jellal's smirk before they all pulled apart. Looking around, he saw they weren't the only ones that had used physical contact to alleviate the fear. Elfman, his magick drained, had been sent back to Fairy Tail. Porlyusica was holding down the fort. His sister's hands clung to each other for comfort. The Thunder Legion was unashamedly hugging each other. They let go as Gray watched, and Bixlow tugged Lisanna to his side. She was much smaller than he was and nearly vanished into Bixlow's height. Mira smiled but was distracted when Laxus-- _Laxus_ \--bent down and touched his forehead to hers. It lasted only a moment, but it spoke of easy intimacy. Alzack and Bisca's hands were linked. From what Gray could see everyone was accounted for.

It was a moment of light when they were surrounded by dark.

The fear still skittered just out of reach, whispering, mumbling, and tugging on insecurities.

"Does anyone know what the  _hell_  that is?" Bixlow asked. But Gray couldn't quite  _hear_  him. He could see his lips moving, but it was like the sound was sucked into the rocks or had a hard time moving through the thickened air. It was like Bixlow spoke through vibrations, much like the female voice had earlier.

It was just a little unsettling.

"I don't know," Freed answered, his voice projecting the same way. Freed grimaced. Clearly, he didn't like this form of talking either. "But it's not good."

"Something caused this," Mira spoke now. "That was the result of a spell. A sizable one, too." Through the holes in the castle, which they had only begun to infiltrate, they could see the wounded sky.

They could see the color draining from the landscape. Even the castle, which didn't have much color, to begin with, was duller.

"What did they  _do?"_  Lisanna asked and even with the voice distortion Gray could hear-feel?-the worry and despair in her voice. Whatever it was, whatever Ivan and Jose had done, it wasn't even close to natural.

"They have an advantage now." Laxus's deep baritone carried well through the vibrations. "This is feeding their magick. Jose especially will have an advantage. His shade magick will thrive like this. Ivan's creatures will feed off this too. Watch yourself, Fairy Tail."

"Well, we aren't going to let that stop us," Evergreen said and the smirk in her voice was evident. "That spell doesn't look complete. A crack in the sky is hardly a weapon. I think something's trying to come through."

"You don't have to sound so damn cheery about it," Gray grumbled.

"Evergreen's right," Mira said before Evergreen could retort. "It's like a warped portal. Our goal is to shut down the spell that activated it. I don't know what's coming through but it can't be good."

"I don't wanna meet it, whatever it is," Alzack said.

Everyone made some noise of assent. Gray hoped Natsu and his group were okay.

"Let's go get Ivan and shut this spell down!" Laxus roared. The guild cheered in approval.

They felt fear. They could feel their insecurities whispering close to the surface. But they were together.

They would not be defeated.

* * *

At the epicenter of the spell, it was chaos. The walls had imploded outward several long seconds after the key had shattered after the voice had spoken so loudly in her head it could've been her voice speaking.

Grief saturated her bones.

Anger burned in her blood.

The air choked her. Fear crashed into her system, slammed against anger, was fueled by grief. Everything felt thick around her, disorienting and  _wrong_. Her ears buzzed and she couldn't get her balance. Dust strangled her already taxed lungs, dried her mouth. She blinked her heavy eyelids, saw double, but was able to lock onto Loke's prone form.

She stumbled forward, her knees weak, sly tongues of nausea curled in her stomach. She fell to her knees next to Loke, shaking, praying, crying.

She groped for a pulse, trying to discern a beat from the slow, horrible one that beat through the air. His skin was warm-that was a good sign, right?

_Right?_

"Loke," Was that her voice? Thin, high, on the edge of hysteria? She couldn't quite hear herself. It was more the suggestion of a voice. "Loke,  _please._ " Finally, her fingers found a pulse, and her relief was just as potent as her fear.

What had Jose  _done?_  Something was horribly wrong. This place had felt wrong, to begin with, but now the air seemed to scorch her lungs. This place was rejecting life.

Loke stirred, and she gently pulled his head onto her lap. She didn't know Jose was. His arm was bent at an odd angle, and she saw that his leg was trapped under rubble. But he  _breathed_.

"Lucy." She barely heard-felt?-it. It was a low sound. His eyes were blurred, she noted, but he recognized her. Still shaking, she bent her head to rest on his forehead. "'M okay. Give me a sec...and I'll kick 'Soe's ass."

"Idiot." She said. "I'm getting these cuffs off you, and you're going back to the Spirit Realm. Oh god, Loke." He tugged on her hair and she took her forehead off his.

"'S'okay." He grinned at her. "Tough as a lion."

She laughed, but it was mixed with tears. Pushing her hair back, she got the cuffs off him, and she felt more than heard him sigh with relief. His body glowed, he was much too injured to force himself to stay, as much as he would want to.

"Don't you dare summon yourself until you're healed." She ordered but he only winked. The rock that had been on his leg shifted and fell to the ground without a sound. She stood, her knees solid under her. She was still shaking, but she told herself it was rage.

"Tell me, Miss Heartfilia, do you still think you and your pathetic guild can win this?" Jose formed out of the shadows, obviously a trick he'd used to protect himself from the blast. She didn't know what Natsu and the others were. She had to trust that they were okay. She had to trust that the rest of the guild was fine as well. She had a target to focus on and Jose was in the crosshairs.

She didn't bother to answer Jose, she saw the rest of her keys dangling from his belt. He'd abused her spirits for long enough.

She cracked her whip, though she couldn't hear it, and aimed for her keys. It didn't matter what happened to her, what mattered was getting her keys away from Jose.

"Lucy!" Natsu's voice barely registered but relief took some of the pressure off her heart. "Catch!"

The practice with the guild members paid off, she caught whatever Natsu had tossed her while keeping an eye on Jose, who'd dodged her whip. The moment she closed her hands around it, she knew what it was. The familiar energy of a key warmed her chilled fingers. She looked at it and wouldn't have recognized the key if it weren't for the impossibly focused eyes carved into it.

"Open! Gate of the Guardian Wolf! Lupus!" She didn't know where the word "guardian" had come from. It just felt  _right._  She'd learned not to doubt her instincts. The wolf formed, just as she remembered it. She wondered why some Spirits had humanoid forms and others, like Plue and the Wolf were animals. Although Plue didn't look anything like the Little Dog constellation, the Wolf looked strangely real. She'd gotten used to Spirits being different even compared to other Mythics. Something about them just seemed...unreal. Like they lived by different rules and the world knew it.

The only thing odd about this wolf was it's impossibly green eyes. Like emeralds glowing.

The Wolf shifted its gaze onto her for only a moment, then snarled at Jose. The sound wasn't dampened like everything else was. Real sound shocked Lucy for a moment. Without prompting, the Wolf went after Jose, who looked truly afraid for a moment. Lucy's whip cracked out again, the sound still muffled and had Jose dodging back towards the Wolf. Shadows exploded from his hands and sent Lucy and the Wolf tumbling.

She  _would_  get her keys back.

Fire crashed into Jose's shadows and gave Lucy the opening she needed. The end of the whip slipped around her key ring and ripped it from Jose's belt. He reached for it, but the Wolf body slammed him and sent Jose crashing to the ground. The second her hand closed around her keys she swore she felt them warm, and a gentle heartbeat trill against her hand. She put them on her belt and focused totally on taking Jose down.

The Wolf let out a yip and was sent flying from Jose's prone form. Shadows erupted and Jose stood, his face furious. Lucy charged, sliding and jumping away from his shades. Fire blasted around her. She and Natsu knew each other's moves well enough that they could fight together without worrying about hitting the other. She grabbed another key from her belt, summoning Sagittarius. His barrage protected her from the shades Natsu couldn't get. She felt wind crash around her, saw metal slam into rocks, words form mid-air, and knew the others fought to keep Jose's shades busy while she took him on herself.

Their faith warmed her.

The Wolf was at her side when she abandoned the whip for the moment and sent a punch into Jose's face. It was a lucky shot to be sure, but it didn't make her feel any less proud of herself. Or viciously happy.

"You're going to pay for what you did to my friends!" Lucy threatened, her voice though muffled and strange, rang with violent promise.

"Oh, my dear, you think  _I'm_  the one you have to worry about right now?" Jose smirked. His lip was bleeding and a black eye was brewing. He wasn't looking his best. "How silly. But if you want to waste your time, then be my guest."

Lucy whipped out another key, sending Sagittarius home. Virgo formed at Lucy's summons, using the abundant rocks to create a kind of maze to keep Jose constantly at risk from Lucy's attacks. The Wolf seemed to be able to disappear at will, making it nearly impossible for Jose to keep an eye on it. Virgo was at home in the rubble and while Jose was very adept at dodging and countering, between Virgo and the rocks, it gave Lucy openings. She was very afraid, however, that Jose was just messing with her to buy time. He was, after all, the man that brought Gajeel to his knees and Gajeel was well out of her league.

All the more reason to give it everything she had. If she could weaken Jose or keep him distracted long enough then one of the others could take him down.

The problem was she didn't  _want_ anyone else to take him down. She knew everyone else had their own reason for wanting to take Jose down themselves. They'd been fighting him longer than she had and it was just as personal for them as it was for her.

But she  _wanted_  this win. She wanted to punch his lights out.

Man, she really was hanging out with Natsu and the rest of the guild too much. She was becoming as crazy as they were.

She didn't care.

"Jose!" She screamed it. That damned smirk still lingered on his face.  _Dammit_ , he was playing with her. He knew she couldn't beat him.

Bullshit.  _Just bullshit._

The Wolf circled Jose and Virgo was attacking with rocks and pitfalls.

She refused to lose to him. It was  _bullshit_  that she couldn't win.

Magick rose around her, in her, through her. It carved into the ground, forming a magick circle and clearing rocks and debris. Virgo and the Wolf slipped gracefully out of the blast zone.

" _Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens…"_ The words poured from her heart, from the deepest recesses of her mind. " _All the stars, far and wide...Show me thy appearance. With such shine._ " They were  _her_  words now, not words someone-some _thing_?-else whispered in her mind and she knew even then she'd remember this time. She knew this was the spell she'd used before that had left everyone so awed. " _Oh, Tetrabiblos...I am the ruler of the stars...Aspect become complete...Open thy malevolent gate_." The roof-what was left-blasted off and Jose was surrounded by blinding light. It was much too bright for his shade magick to form anything to protect himself. Beyond that, this magick holy and negated his dark magick. She saw him mouth "no!" " _O, 88 Stars of the heaven...Shine!_

" _Urano Metria!"_

It was stronger than before because she was stronger. Because the words had come from  _her_. Because she had more faith in herself, her spirits, her friends. The spell shot a beat of light into the sky where it crashed into the dark that was trying to escape.

Below the thunder of the spell, something screamed.

It might've been Jose. It might've been something else. Or both.

She saw her spirits shimmer away, all her magick tied up in the spell.

The light crescendoed and it seemed like Jose vanished under its brilliance. As quickly as it started it was over. Lucy fell to her knees while Jose crashed limply onto the ground.

"Lucy!" Natsu's arms wrapped around her and his ecstatic face came into her line of sight. Her knees stung from where they hit the ground and her head seemed to roar. Her magick was drained and she felt hulled out. It didn't matter. Natsu was a warm comfort to her. She knew, she just knew, that he'd also be there to catch her when she fell.

She hoped he knew she'd do the same.

"Holy shit, Bunny Girl." Gajeel's rough voice pierced the roaring in her ears.

"Lucy." Natsu's breath danced across her face.

"Are you okay?" Wendy asked. Wendy kneeled beside her, looking windblown and flushed from exertion. Lucy was sure she'd had better days, but she'd also had worse.

"I'm fine, Wendy. You?"

"I'm okay," Wendy said.

"Levy?" Lucy asked having not heard from her friend.

"I'm good, Lu." She and Gajeel stood together, hands linked as if reassuring the other that they were okay.

"My keys." Lucy panic lasted only a moment before she remembered that she'd ripped the keys away from Jose's grasp. She held them close, feeling the difference in the weight of them, knowing that one was missing.

One was shattered.

The triumph of the moment faded into grief. She'd failed them. Loke was injured and had been tortured, and Aquarius….

Aquarius was gone.

"Luce…" Natsu's arms gripped tighter. His mouth worked, but it was like he couldn't find the words he wanted to say. Instead, he tilted his head down and pressed his forehead to hers. "It's not your fault."

"Then who's fault is it, Natsu?" Lucy's voiced cracked. "I  _failed-_ "

"Jose's." He said, a hint of heat in his tone. "It was Jose's fault. You didn't fail them, Lucy. You saved them, gave them a purpose again. Jose hurt them, not you. Without you, we never would've seen Loke again. They never would've been loved again."

"But she's gone...she's gone."

"I know." Natsu pulled her head into his shoulder. "I know."

Lucy sobbed, knowing she could trust him to keep her safe even in the middle of a war zone. The fingers of one hand dug into his ruined shirt while the other gripped her keys hard enough to bruise. The others left them alone, save for one Gajeel gently touched her back.

"Here," He said when Lucy looked up at him through her tears. He gently unclasped the hand she had gripped on Natsu and slid something into the open palm.

The cool metal touched her skin and Lucy trembled at the touch. She knew what it had been. It wasn't supposed to be cold. Her keys always held a certain warmth even if they weren't touching her skin or in the sun. She didn't know if it was the magick in them or if it was the heat of the souls connected to them.

All she knew was that Aquarius's key would never hum in her hand again.

"T-thank," She drew in a shaky breath. "Thank you." Her throat felt like barbs had scraped down it. Gajeel simply nodded. Her hand closed on the key, heedless of the jagged end.

It was silent for several moments until Levy broke the silence.

"Lucy." Levy's voice broke through her grief. Lucy couldn't tell what it was about the way Levy said her name, all she knew was she never wanted her name called like that again. Without any further words, Lucy knew their situation had gone from bad to worse. She looked up at Natsu's face, trying to gain a clue as to what was going on.

Natsu's body was still, and Lucy could've sworn she'd seen fear in his eyes.

It was Wendy that spoke next, her voice young and shaky.

"Oh, no."

* * *

Gray was having the time of his life. After the whole raw-terror-and-blood-boiling -from-the-ground thing, they'd run into a bunch of Ivan's cronies. They were blowing up walls, crashing in doorways, and causing so much destruction that Gray felt like laughing.

Finally, a building they could destroy and not have to pay to fix afterward.

He wasn't the only one enjoying themselves. Bixlow had ditched the helmet-it was dented and covered in things that Gray didn't want to think about-and was causing general terror in Ivan's troops. Apparently, they had quickly figured out what Bixlow's eyes were capable of and trying to fight while not looking in your opponent's eyes was harder than it sounded. Gray could hear his cackles even from the floor up. The sound was still freaky, but Bixlow's deeper voice traveled well over it. Laxus was practically overflowing with lightning, so much so that every time he stepped he sent out sparks. No one could get within five feet of him without either getting a shock equivalent to touching a metal door handle after running around a carpeted floor in socks or one equivalent to Holy-Shit-I've-Shoved-My-Entire-Hand-Into-A-Light-Socket.

Even the Thunder Legion, whom Gray had long suspected to be pretty immune to electricity had to watch themselves.

Now that he thought about it, part of Bixlow's scariness was probably caused by the fact that  _he_  looked like he'd shoved his hand into a light socket, what with the way his hair was frizzed out.

Somehow Evergreen's hair was perfect. Freed's however….

Best not mention it.

Gray dodged under some Mythic's excuse for fire magick, grinning all the while. Erza was ahead of him (of course) flinging enemies out of her way. Jellal was…

Where  _was_  Jellal?

Speaking of missing guildmates, where the hell was Gildarts?

"But Cannnnnaaa, sweetie, daddy wants to watch  _you_  fight. You're so good!"

"STOP SITTING AROUND LIKE A BUM AND GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR, OLD MAN."

Ah, mystery solved. Well, one mystery. Gray wondered if Jellal was further ahead, or had gotten tied up with something in the floors below. Erza didn't seem concerned, and Jellal was more than capable of handling himself.

Still, Gray made a mental note to keep an eye out for him. If he vanished for too long, Gray was going after him.

Charging toward an enemy, Gray grinned as his attack knocked the guy out  _and_  knocked down another wall.

Oh, this was a good day.

" _Gray!"_ Juvia's scream had him whipping around just in time to see a blast of concentrated magickal energy arrow towards him. He brought his arms up, wondering what would be faster, his Ice Make magick or the magickal equivalent of a speeding bullet.

The ground beneath him shifted, a wall that had been busted reformed in time to stop the projectile.

"I  _thought_  I told you to  _call me_  when you went after Ivan." Ultear scolded. She glided through the haze of battle, not a single dark hair out of place. Half-formed ice clung to Gray's arms, Ultear tutted and flicked it off. She raised an eyebrow at the destruction around them, sending him a smirk. "Did you do this for me? You know I'm  _quite_  capable of bringing down the house  _without_  your help." From the direction, the beam came from came a rumbling sound. The roof crashed and mechanical groaning filtered its way through the vibrations.

Gray grinned. "Sorry, sis. We got caught up." Ultear did not seem amused.

She sighed, eyeing the soldiers Ivan had sent. Mere cannon fodder.

"I dare say you kept all the fun things to yourself."

"What can I say? I gotta one-up you somehow."

"Little brother, you could never one-up me."

"Hey!" Alzack called over. "If you two are done with your  _heartwarming_  family reunion, you mind helping us with the  _war_  we're fighting?"

"Coming, coming," Gray called rolling his eyes at his sister.

Suddenly magick exploded from other side of the castle. Golden light beamed up, spearing towards the sky. The light made the air ripple and Gray felt his ears pop. Something roared. Or someone screamed. Color seeped back into the rocks, but Gray couldn't tell if they were back to the way they were  _before_  the whole blood-and-fear-moment thing. Some walls seemed to dissolve at the epicenter of the spell, while others burst outwards. Gray drew in air sweetened with…. _something_. It was like he should know what the scent was, but his brain couldn't identify it. It was suddenly easier to breathe and the streams of magick in the air seemed to hug those around him.

Well, the ones wearing the Fairy Tail symbol, anyway.

Their enemies stumbled, obviously  _not_  feeling what Gray was feeling. While it wasn't enough to defeat them, Gray was amazed it affected them at all. The castle wasn't small and they were a good distance away from the spell's epicenter.

The light faded slowly, but Gray would never forget its brilliance.

"Holy shit Lucy," Bixlow muttered and Gray started when he realized the sound was back to normal.

"Heartfillia did that?" Ultear sounded impressed. Gray felt pride bloom in his chest. He'd helped Lucy realize her magick potential. He'd watched her grow from an unsure and overwhelmed young woman into a confident badass.

His sorta little sister was amazing. Someone let out a low whistle.

Their enemies retreated for a moment. Fairy Tail regrouped, bandaging wounds and sending magickally exhausted members to Porlyusica.

"There is  _no way_  Jose's still able to fight after  _that._ " Gray heard someone say from the crowd of Mythics. His hearing wasn't acute enough for him to tell who it was.

"No doubt. He'd be lucky to survive." Another Mythic agreed.

"Sweet, now we just have to tackle Ivan."

Something cold swept through the air. A flash of gold crashed into the ground, and Gray recognized Jellal's instantly. He stood, his usually immaculate clothing tattered and bloodstained, his hair streaked with--well, the same  _lovely_  things that had coated Bixlow's helmet--and appeared to be exhausted. Erza was by his side in an instant.

"I tried to stop it."

No one had time to ask: Stop  _what?_

Gray's eyes tracked over to the crack in the sky. Only now it was more of a hole. Its edges were ragged and the sky around it shuddered and jerked as if trying to stitch itself closed again.

But it was impossible at the moment, for something large was blocking it.

While they had been fighting on the ground, all hell had broken loose in the sky.

Gray had only seen something like this  _once_  in his entire life, even for as old as he was. But it didn't take anyone a lot of brains to figure out exactly  _what_  was shoving its way free.

Teeth. Claws. Eyes.

Teeth sharper than blades, claws longer than even Elfman, eyes burning yellow.

Even as they watched, its head broke through, revealing a long, long snout and flared nostrils.

Its mouth opened and Gray knew there was no point in running.

The dragon roared.


End file.
